Anesthesiology and pain medicine
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Low back disorder is the most common problem in the entire spinal axis. About two-thirds of adults suffer from low back pain (LBP) at some time. Pain generators in the lumbar spine include the annulus of the disc, the posterior longitudinal ligament, a portion of the dural membrane, the facet joints, the spinal nerve roots and ganglia, and the associated paravertebral muscle fascia. There is no doubt that the facet joint is a potential source of chronic LBP. Facet joints are true synovial joints that have a joint space, hyaline cartilage surfaces, a synovial membrane, and a fibrous capsule. Two medial branches of the dorsal rami innervate the facet joints. If conservative measures fail in the treatment of facet joint pain, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) of the medial branches can be administered. ⋯ This study suggests that PRF treatment of the lumbar medial branches provides good pain relief for at least 6 months in 70% of patients who suffer from lumbar facet joint pain.
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Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the common problems after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. ⋯ Intravenous injection of 8 mg Dexamethasone or 3 mg Granisetron before anesthesia induction had similar effects in prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
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Intra-articular analgesia is a pain reliever that is frequently administered following arthroscopic knee surgery. ⋯ We have found a postoperative analgesic effect of intra-articularly administered morphine and tramadol following minor arthroscopic knee surgeries with a maximum effect 6 hours post injection.
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Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a disabling medical condition in which narrowing of the spinal canal compresses the spinal cord and nerves causing a condition called neurogenic intermittent claudication (NIC). Decompressive spine surgery is the standard of care for patients who fail to improve with conservative management. However, oftentimes, patients who suffer from LSS are elderly individuals with multiple co-morbidities who cannot withstand the risks of decompressive surgery. X-Stop, a novel and minimally invasive FDA approved interspinous process implant, has come into the scene as an alternative to decompressive surgery, and can be inserted under local anesthetic with minimal blood loss. ⋯ X-Stop is a safe and effective treatment for NIC that provides marked relief of symptoms with sustained beneficial outcomes at up to two years of follow-up. In addition, X-Stop permits implantation under local anesthetic with minimal blood loss".