Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Surgery

An intrathecal baclofen pump is a programmable device about the size of an ice-hockey puck, placed under the skin of the abdomen. It delivers tiny doses of the muscle relaxant baclofen through a fine catheter directly into the fluid around the spinal cord.

Because the drug goes straight to where it acts, doses are about a hundredth of oral doses, with much less drowsiness. It eases severe spasticity from cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke or brain injury. It does not restore strength or cure the underlying condition, and it commits you to refills for life.

What Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Surgery involves

First comes a screening test: a single dose of baclofen is injected by lumbar puncture and therapists measure muscle tone over the next 4 to 8 hours. If tone clearly drops, implantation is scheduled. In theatre you lie on your side. Through a small cut over the lower spine a needle enters the spinal fluid and the catheter is threaded upward to a level chosen for whether legs, arms or both need treating. The catheter is anchored, tunnelled under the skin around the flank and connected to the pump, which sits in a pocket made below the ribs, under skin or the muscle lining. The pump is filled and programmed by wireless telemetry before you wake.

Who is a good candidate for Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Surgery?

For severe, widespread spasticity that interferes with care, comfort or function and has not responded to tablets, botulinum toxin and therapy.

• Severe leg or whole-body spasticity or dystonia with intolerable side effects from oral drugs
• A clear positive response to the test dose
• Enough body size for the pump, generally children above about 15 kg
• A family or care team able to attend refills reliably

It is usually not the right choice if:

• No meaningful response to the screening injection
• Active infection, pressure sores near the surgical sites, or untreated hydrocephalus
• People who rely on their stiffness to stand or transfer and would lose function if it were removed
• Anyone without assured access to a refill and programming service near home

Technique options

• Programmable pump: Rate can be varied through the day and adjusted without surgery. The standard choice.
• Catheter tip level: Lower thoracic for leg spasticity, higher thoracic or cervical when arms are also affected.
• Subfascial pocket: The pump lies beneath the muscle lining in thin patients and children to protect the skin.
• Alternatives: Selective dorsal rhizotomy for some children with cerebral palsy, focal botulinum toxin, or orthopaedic surgery for fixed contractures.

What happens during your treatment

Implantation takes 1 to 2 hours under general anaesthesia. You stay flat for a day or so to limit spinal headache, and remain in hospital 3 to 7 days while the dose is increased step by step and therapists reassess tone.

Preparing for your trip

Plan for 14 to 21 days including the test dose in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.

• Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
• Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
• Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
• Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly

Recovery and results

Wounds heal in 2 weeks. Avoid bending, twisting and stretching hard for 4 to 6 weeks so the catheter does not dislodge. Dose adjustment continues over 2 to 6 months alongside physiotherapy. Refills by a needle through the skin are needed every 1 to 6 months, and the pump battery lasts about 5 to 7 years, after which the pump is replaced.

• Back to everyday activity: 4 to 6 weeks of movement precautions
• When results show: Tone falls within days; dose settles over months
• How long they last: Battery 5 to 7 years; refills every 1 to 6 months

Safety, risks and revision policy

Most complications involve the catheter or the drug supply, and abrupt interruption of baclofen is dangerous.

• Baclofen withdrawal from an empty pump, kinked catheter or missed refill: high fever, rebound spasms, itching, confusion; this is a medical emergency
• Overdose causing drowsiness, floppiness and slow breathing
• Catheter kinking, disconnection or migration, needing revision in a significant minority
• Infection of the pump pocket or meningitis, often requiring removal
• Spinal fluid leak with headache or a fluid swelling
• Too much loosening of tone with loss of standing ability
• Constipation or urinary retention

Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.

Cost of Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Surgery in Türkiye

Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Intrathecal Baclofen Pump Surgery, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:

• The pump and catheter hardware
• Screening trial and inpatient titration days
• Rehabilitation included during the stay
• Ongoing refills and later battery replacement, which occur at home

Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

Frequently Asked Questions