The pump is a round metal device, surgically implanted beneath the skin of your abdomen. A catheter is surgically placed in the subarachnoid or intrathecal space of the spine and connected to the pump. A reservoir in the pump holds the medication, which is administered through the catheter and to intrathecal space. The pump can be programmed to administer a specific amount of medication, and at what times the medication is released. When the pump is low on medication, a physician will use a needle to refill the device. This procedure is easily reversed.
The procedure generally takes three to four hours to complete, and the patient is administered narcotics for pain management afterward.