Closing Discussion
Part of Trial or No Trial? The Future of SCS Selection
Details
- Date
- Saturday, January 23, 2027
- Time
- 11:50 AM – 12:00 PM
- Session type
- Concurrent Session
- Schedule
- See this day
About
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.
Presenters
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Heather Pinckard Dover, MD
Director Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery
Marshall University · Lavalette, West Virginia
Heather Pinckard-Dover, MD is Associate Professor and Director of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at Marshall University specializing in functional neurosurgery, neuromodulation, and the surgical treatment of movement disorders and chronic pain. She has developed a broad expertise in advanced therapies including deep brain stimulation, spinal cord stimulation, peripheral and occipital nerve stimulation, vagal nerve stimulation, hypoglossal nerve stimulation, and intrathecal drug delivery. Dr. Pinckard-Dover is committed to expanding access to innovative neurosurgical care, particularly for patients in rural and underserved communities, and serves as President of the West Virginia Movement Disorder Alliance, where she works to advance education, multidisciplinary care, and awareness of movement disorders throughout the region. In addition to her clinical practice, she is actively involved in physician education, research, program development, and the advancement of emerging neuromodulation technologies.
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Dr. Kohan is a professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the Univeristy of Virginia. She serves as the division chief and medical director of pain medicine as well as the program director for the chronic pain fellowship. She has numeorus leadership positions nationally including serving on the Board of Directors of ASRA PAin Medicine and AAPM. Additionally, she sits on the BOD for the NIH Heal Grant Purpose Network. She is also actively involved in education leadership including roles as t past president of the Association of Pain Program Directors and Past President of the specialty program directors for the SAAAPM. She sits on numerous editorial boards for journals within pain medicine.