Intrathecal Pump Drug Delivery

This book is a comprehensive guide to Targeted Drug Delivery (TDD), also known as Intrathecal Drug Delivery (IDD), and offers an overview to this unique form of treatment. The medication is delivered by intrathecal pumps and is less common than some other techniques for interventional pain management, but is essential in conditions such as refractory pain, cancer pain, multifocal pain, severe spasticity, and in patients who are not candidates for surgical correction of their underlying condition.

Douglas P. Beall, MD, attended medical school at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and completed his residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Following residency, he was Chief of Interventional Services at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. He then completed a fellowship in Musculoskeletal Radiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he was trained in interventional spine techniques before returning to the US Air Force as Division Chief of Musculoskeletal Radiology. Following his service as a Major in the US Air Force Dr. Beall was chief of Musculoskeletal Radiology and Fellowship Director at the Univiersity of Oklahoma prior to entering private practice as the Chief of Services.

In addition to his expertise in musculoskeletal imaging and interventional spine care, Dr. Beall is actively involved in teaching and research. He is board-certified in Diagnostic Radiology, has an added fellowship in Musculoskeletal Radiology, is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management and is a Fellow of the Society of Interventional Radiology and Interventional Pain Practice and board certified by the World Institute of Pain. He is currently in private practice focused on interventional pain management and orthopedic imaging.

Dr. Beall has published more than 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals, authored 6 textbooks and 75 textbook chapters, given more than 1000 invited lectures and scientific presentations and has participated in 55 clinical research trials. He is currently the Chief of Services for Comprehensive Specialty Care in Oklahoma City as well as the Division Head of Interventional Spine Care and Director of Pain Management Fellowship Programs at the Center for Comprehensive Specialty Care.

Peter L Munk, MDCM, FRCPC, FSIR, FFRRCSI (Hon) is Professor of Radiology, Orthopedics and Palliative Care at the University of British Columbia and former Section Head Musculoskeletal Imaging at the Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, Canada. A medical graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Completed a Fellowship in musculoskeletal radiology at the University of California San Francisco.

Previous Editor in Chief of the Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal (2009-2019) and currently Associate Editor of the British Journal of Radiology, Advisor to the Editor Medical Journal of Australia. International Liaison for the Asian Pacific Association of Medical Journal Editors. Author of 460 published papers, 180 abstracts, 120 scientific exhibits, 5 books and 25 book chapters. Member of the International Skeletal Society, Fellow of the Society of Interventional Radiology and Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Radiology of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Principle research interest includes musculoskeletal tumor imaging and Interventional imaging guided musculoskeletal procedures - particularly with regards to pain control in metastatic bone disease.

Michael J. DePalma, MD is President and Medical Director of Virginia iSpine Physicians, PC where he practices Interventional Spine and Musculoskeletal Care. Dr. DePalma completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The Ohio State University Medical Center in 2003 followed by his fellowship training in Interventional Spine Care at the Pennsylvania Spine Center of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 2004.

Dr. DePalma has authored or co-authored over eighty-five articles and abstracts in peer reviewed journals and twenty-one textbook chapters. He has also edited a forty-nine chapter textbook, iSpine: Evidence Based Interventional Spine Care, and co-edited a second textbook, Regenerative Medicine: The Intersection of Research and Experience. He serves or has served on multiple professional committees and boards for the North American Spine Society, The Spine Intervention Society, and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. DePalma is a reviewer for leading peer reviewed journals within his specialty as well as online patient education website. He serves as Director of Virginia iSpine Physician’s Interventional Spine Care Fellowship program and is also Chairman and Director of Research with Virginia Spine Research Institute. Dr. DePalma has been named by his peer physicians as a “Top Doc” in Richmond Magazine in 2008, 2011, and 2012, in Best Doctors in America 2015-2016, and in Virginia magazine in 2017. This esteemed recognition places Dr. DePalma within the top 10% of recognized physicians in this area. He is also the recipient of the 2018 Our Health Best Bedside Manner Award as well as the 2019 Medarva Patient Choice Award.

Dr. DePalma is an active spine and musculoskeletal researcher with over 18 years of clinical research experience. As a Principal Investigator he has successfully conducted various phases of FDA regulated clinical trialsfor conditions such as degenerative disc disease (DDD), spinal stenosis, disc herniation, facet joint arthrosis, hip joint arthritis sacroiliac joint dysfunction, osteoporotic fractures and, more recently, knee osteoarthritis. His research has corroborated prevalence data on chronic low back pain and has also clarified predictor variables for the source of chronic low back pain and the etiology of chronic low back pain induced by motor vehicle collision. He was the lead investigator at VCU in the largest prospective study of an innovative non-surgical technique to stabilize painful pelvic fractures in osteoporotic patients.

As an international speaker as an expert in his field, Dr. DePalma’s research has been recognized twice by the Spine Intervention Society as the “Best Clinical Paper” and “Best Basic Science Paper”.

Dr DePalma’s Clinical Research Team includes two Sub-Investigators including his fellows, a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator, a Clinical ResearchAssistant, and several Clinical Research Medical Assistants. Together, the research team at Virginia iSpine Physicians, PC has over 45 Years of combined clinical research experience.

Timothy T Davis, MD attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine 6 year Program, graduating with a combined BA/MD at 24 years of age.  After earning his medical degree, Dr. Davis completed his surgical internship at Ochsner Medical Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana then his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration and UCLA Medical Center.  He then completed a post graduate Spine Fellowship at The Spine Institute in Santa Monica, CA.

Dr. Davis has published extensively in peer reviewed journals, has written numerous book chapters, and has presented nationally and internationally on spine and joint disorders and treatments.  He has been the principal investigator on more than 20 clinical trials,many focusing on biologics for spine and joint disorders.

Dr Davis has been in Private Practice focused on Interventional Pain Management for his entire medical career and is the founder of Source Healthcare, Source Surgery Center, Source Practice Solutions IP Holdings, and Alpha Diagnostics.

Dr Davis is on medical staff at Saint Johns Health Center and Cedars Sinai Medical Center.  He is a member of the North American Spine Society, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Academy of Pain Medicine, North American Neuromodulation Society and American Society of Pain and Neuroscience.

Kasra Amirdelfan is one of the founding partners at IPM Medical Group, Inc., in Walnut Creek, California.  He received his medical degree from Texas A&M University, College of Medicine.  He completed his residency at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, an affiliated facility with Southwestern School of Medicine. Dr.Amirdelfan completed his fellowship in Interventional Pain Management at Pacific Pain Treatment Centers with Dr. Elliot Krames, in collaboration with California Pacific Medical Centers in San Francisco.  He has served as the Department Chair of Pain Medicine at John Muir Medical Center and Doctors Hospitals in his area.  He performs extensive research and lectures various cutting edge methods in pain management at the national and international levels. He is regarded as one of the foremost global key opinion leaders in the field of Interventional Pain Management and Neuromodulation. He also continues to be actively involved in conducting research for the development of new technologies to help improve pain management worldwide. He has authored over 40 scientific peer-reviewed publications in his specialty. He in the Vice President of Clinical Affairs and an executive board member of the American Society of Pain & Neuroscience (ASPN). He is also the Vice President of PacificSpine & Pain Society (PSPS). Dr. Amirdelfan has a special interest in Spinal diseases, spinal cord stimulation and stem cell technologies.

Corey W. Hunter, M.D. is an interventional pain management physician practicing in New York City, holding board certifications in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine.

Dr. Hunter earned his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine. Thereafter, he completed a residency in PM&R at New York University followed by a Pain Medicine fellowship at the Weill Cornell Medical Center.  Dr. Hunter went on to found the Ainsworth Institute of Pain Management in New York City where he serves as the Executive Director.  In addition, he holds an appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor in PM&R at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Hunter worked as a research assistant at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis investigatingembryonic stem cells to treat paralysis, Parkinson’s disease and chronic pain. He continued his research in medical school studying stromal stem cells (now known as mesenchymal) to treat paralysis – his work was amongst the earliest research on this particular cell line, which is now the mainstay of regenerative medicine.

Dr. Hunter continues to be active in research, serving as the principle investigator on a number of clinical trials on emerging neuromodulation technologies and regenerative medicine.  He has a keen interest in teaching and is well-published with his work appearing in a number peer-reviewed journals and textbooks on a wide variety of topics that includes DRG Stimulation, pelvic pain, regenerative medicine, CRPS, amputee pain, advanced spinal cord stimulation techniques, and targeted drug delivery.