Successful Treatment of Severe Sympathetically Maintained Pain Following Anterior Spine Surgery.
10.3340/jkns.2014.56.1.66
- Author:
Jae Hee WOO
1
;
Hahck Soo PARK
Author Information
1. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea. ingoo97@lycos.co.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Anterior spine surgery;
Sympathetic dysfunction;
Sympathetic block
- MeSH:
Burns;
Diskectomy;
Humans;
Lower Extremity;
Pain, Postoperative;
Sensation;
Spine*;
Stellate Ganglion;
Upper Extremity
- From:Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
2014;56(1):66-70
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Sympathetic dysfunction is one of the possible complications of anterior spine surgery; however, it has been underestimated as a cause of complications. We report two successful experiences of treating severe dysesthetic pain occurring after anterior spine surgery, by performing a sympathetic block. The first patient experienced a burning and stabbing pain in the contralateral upper extremity of approach side used in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, and underwent a stellate ganglion block with a significant relief of his pain. The second patient complained of a cold sensation and severe unexpected pain in the lower extremity of the contralateral side after anterior lumbar interbody fusion and was treated with lumbar sympathetic block. We aimed to describe sympathetically maintained pain as one of the important causes of early postoperative pain and the treatment option chosen for these cases in detail.
