Highest Ranking Oral Abstracts

This controversy-based panel will examine whether the conventional screening trial paradigm for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) still represents best practice in 2027. Speakers will review the evidence comparing trial-first versus direct-to-implant strategies, discuss how trial duration may influence both signal quality and infection risk, analyze how false positives and responder enrichment bias can distort both research and real-world decision-making, and evaluate the cost-effectiveness implications of maintaining or abandoning trial-based selection. The session is designed to move beyond dogma and provide attendees with a practical, evidence-informed framework for patient selection in modern SCS practice.