Editor-in-Chief: Alaa Abd-Elsayed, MD, PhD


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Abstract

  1. 2020;4;85-92 Lumbar Sympathetic Plexus Radiofrequency Ablation for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: A Brief Review and Two Case Reports
    Case Report
    Andrea Tinnirello, MD, Laura Ambrosini, MD, and Sandra Barbieri, MD.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar sympathetic plexus (LSP) has been described as a target for managing chronic pain with a sympathetic component in the lower limbs such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) or pain of ischemic origin. LSP neurolysis with phenol or ethanol has been applied; more recently, radiofrequency (RF) lesioning has been proposed as an alternative. RF denervation has the advantage of avoiding the complications associated with ethanol/phenol spread.

CASE REPORT: We describe 2 cases in which RF denervation of LSP was performed in patients suffering from chronic pain from CRPS and chronic ischemic disease of the lower limb.

CONCLUSION: RF denervation of LSP could be considered as a treatment for CRPS and chronic ischemic pain when conventional medical therapy fails. Compared to chemical neurolysis, RF denervation carries less risk for postprocedural deafferentation pain.

KEY WORDS: Complex regional pain syndrome; ischemic pain; lumbar sympathetic plexus; neurolysis; radiofrequency; sympathetically maintained pain

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