“I Could See Metal Through My Skin”: When a Stimulator Battery Breaks Through

Medication, drug and device guides · 13 min read · Published 10 November 2026 · Reviewed 10 November 2026 · Next review May 2027

By Dr Rosemary Listing, PhD (Law) · Medical negligence lawyer since 2014 · Of Counsel, Peter Evans & Associates

If your stimulator broke through your skin, I want you to know that your questions are reasonable. It is frightening to see a device emerge from your body, and it’s fair to ask whether it could have been prevented or caught earlier.

This guide covers why erosion happens, warning signs, what should be done, records, and how the law looks at it.

Start with your question

• Why does a stimulator battery break through the skin?
• What are the warning signs?
• Can it be fixed early?
• What happens if the device is exposed?
• When is it urgent?
• Is it a device or care problem?
• Could this be negligence?

Why erosion happens

A 2021 case report described a stimulator battery extruding through the abdominal wall four years after implantation. The authors listed contributing factors including pressure from a belt, thin fat under the skin, tissue fragility, pockets that are too shallow or the wrong size, and infection.¹ They called it a very rare complication.¹

Warning signs

Skin that becomes thin, shiny, discoloured or tender over the device, or a device that seems to have moved, should be reviewed by the implanting team, not just the device representative.

Questions to ask

• Is the skin over my battery thinning?
• Has the battery moved?
• Should the pocket be revised before it gets worse?
• Could this be infection?

Early action

The authors note that early erosion without skin breakdown may be managed by surgically revising the pocket, and they recommend monitoring for early skin changes, considering belt lines when placing the pocket, and placing it deep enough.¹

When the device is exposed

Once hardware is exposed, it should be assumed to be contaminated, and the authors advise removing the battery and leads, with re-implantation later.¹ That means losing pain relief for a period and further surgery.

When it’s urgent

Device or care?

Some stimulator problems relate to the device; erosion more often relates to placement, follow-up and response to warning signs. The TGA has reviewed spinal cord stimulators, and you can report problems.² See our guides to lead migration and headache after a stimulator.

What to look for in the records

Your records are often where the story becomes clear. You have a right to access your own health information. In NSW the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 covers both public and private providers, and the Information and Privacy Commission explains how to ask.³ Our step-by-step guide to getting your medical records in Australia walks you through it.

How the law looks at it

Skin erosion over a stimulator can happen despite good care. The legal questions are whether the pocket was placed appropriately, and whether early warning signs were recognised and acted on.

A claim usually turns on three questions: whether the care fell below what peers would widely accept as competent practice (section 5O of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW))⁴, whether that shortfall probably caused harm you wouldn't otherwise have had (Tabet v Gett)⁵, and, where it matters, whether you were told the material risks first (Rogers v Whitaker)⁶⁷. Our guide to how a medical negligence claim works explains each one in plain terms.

In an erosion case, the questions might be: was the pocket deep enough and placed away from belt lines? Were you told what to watch for? When you reported skin changes, were you referred to the surgeon? Was a pocket revision considered before the device broke through?

In plain terms, the question is whether earlier action would probably have saved the device and avoided removal, lost pain relief and further surgery.

For a stimulator, that would usually include the risks of infection, erosion and further surgery.

Who can claim, and when

The person harmed can claim. In NSW, time usually runs from when you knew, or ought to have known, enough to claim, not from the treatment itself, and courts can sometimes extend it, so an old injury may still count. See time limits in NSW or other states, and ask early.

More: complaint or claim? · how a claim is paid for · what a claim can cover

In my practice

In stimulator files, the device representative’s notes are often important. Skin changes may be noticed at programming visits but not passed to the surgeon. Reading those notes alongside the clinic letters often shows a warning that went nowhere.

Both things can be true

Your stimulator may have changed your life for the better, and the care around it may still have fallen short. Both can be true.

The bigger picture

Spinal cord stimulators have been the subject of a TGA post-market review.² You can check a practitioner on the Ahpra public register,⁸ and complaints about care in NSW can go to the Health Care Complaints Commission.⁹ Our guide to getting your medical records explains how to ask for your file.

Support

You don't have to work through this alone. These services can help:

• Lifeline, 24-hour crisis support: 13 11 14 (listed on healthdirect's helplines page)¹⁰
• Beyond Blue, anxiety and depression support: 1300 22 4636
• Medicare Mental Health, help finding mental health support: 1800 595 212
• healthdirect, 24-hour nurse advice: 1800 022 222
• Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW): 1800 043 159

A man who saw metal through his skin now knows it was noticed twice. You deserve that clarity too.

With care,
Rosemary

Frequently asked questions