Battery life following pallidal deep brain stimulation (DBS) in children and young people with severe primary and secondary dystonia.

BACKGROUND: The finite life of non-rechargeable batteries powering implantable pulse generators (IPG) necessitates their periodic replacement. Children receiving deep brain stimulation (DBS) may require frequent battery changes over their treatment lifetime. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the battery life of IPGs used in pallidal DBS for the treatment of dystonia in children and young people. METHODS: We make use of a review of case notes of all children and young people undergoing DBS surgery at our institution from June 2005 to May 2010. RESULTS: A total of 54 children and young people underwent surgery on at least one occasion, with a total of 76 IPGs implanted. Replacement IPGs due to battery failure were required in 15 out of 54 (27.8%). The average time to battery failure was 24.5 ± 2.9 months (95% confidence interval), with a range of 13-39 months. Battery life was significantly longer in primary compared to subsequent IPGs. No difference in longevity was seen between different IPG devices. CONCLUSIONS: IPG battery life may be short in children and young people receiving treatment for dystonia. These findings highlight the potential benefits of the recently introduced rechargeable neurostimulators.