Chimical Lumbar Sympathectomy - Five cases report - / 대한마취과학회지

ABSTRACT

Pain is a sensory experience that is subjective and individual. It frequently exceeds its protective function and becomes destructive. We have met one case of causalgia, three cases of Buergers disease, and one case of arteriosclerosis obliterance. They sufferred from persistent pain and exkausted with the marked distrophy of affected limbs. Management of these patient involving lower limbs is a continuing challenge. Many other therapheutic procedures could be tried for these patients, but we tried chemical lumbar sympathectomy for these cases. With respect to the lower extremity, four patients had neurolysis of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ipsilateral or 2nd and 3rd bilateral lumbar ganglia using 3 to 5 ml pure alcohol for each space under the image intensifier. Immediately after these procedure, rest pain has relieved dramatically in most cases and marked skin temperature rising. This implied increased peripheral blood flow of sympathectomised portion and the relief of rest pain is probably explained by destrcution of the afferent pain fibres running with the sympathetic trunk.