Pain physician
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A high degree of inter-individual differences was noted in human basal pain as well as the reporting of clinical pain, such as postoperative pain. Understanding the effects of common epidemiological variations and preoperative experimental methods of human pain perception may contribute to individualized pain treatment for patients. ⋯ Preoperatively determining the smoking status and history of surgery might serve as predictors for postoperative analgesia in the Chinese population. Additional preoperative pressure pain measurements might be an effective experimental method for predicting postoperative pain.Key words: Epidemiologic, pressure pain, smoking, predicting, surgery, postoperative pain, inadequate analgesia, Chinese population.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Comparison of Intraarticular Pulsed Radiofrequency and Intraarticular Corticosteroid Injection for Management of Cervical Facet Joint Pain.
Disorders of the facet joints are some of the most common sources of chronic spinal pain. Facet joint pain is responsible for approximately 50% of patients with chronic neck pain. Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) stimulation, after placing needle electrodes into the joint space, has been recently reported for the management of joint pain. ⋯ IA PRF stimulation is as effective as IA corticosteroid injection in attenuating CFJ pain. The use of PRF could decrease CFJ pain, while avoiding the adverse effects of steroids.Key words: Cervical facet joint pain, pulsed radiofrequency, intraarticular stimulation, chronic pain, corticosteroid injection, numeric rating scale.
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The incidence of spinal infection seems to be increasing in recent years. Percutaneous endoscopic debridement and drainage (PEDD) has become an effective alternative to extensive open surgery. ⋯ PEDD using 4 different routes brought immediate pain relief and reduced disability in treating spinal infections, especially in elderly patients with comorbid underlying disorders.Key words: Percutaneous discectomy, psoas abscess, spinal epidural abscess, spondylodiscitis, surgical endoscopy.
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Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a cause of significant morbidity for up to 40% of patients following spine surgery, and is estimated to cost almost $20 billion. Treatment options for these patients currently include conventional medical management (CMM), repeat operation, or spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Much of the published data regarding cost effectiveness of SCS comprise smaller scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) rather than large databases capturing practices throughout the US. SCS has been shown to have superior outcomes to CMM or repeat spinal operation in several landmark studies, yet there are few large studies examining its long-term economic impact. ⋯ We found that from 2000 to 2012, only 4.3% of patients across the United States with FBSS were treated with SCS. Long-term total annual costs for these patients were significantly reduced compared to patients with conventional management. Although implantation of an SCS system results in a short-term increase in costs at one year, the subsequent annual cumulative costs were significantly decreased long-term in the following 9 years after implantation. This study combines the largest group of FBSS patients studied to date along with the longest follow-up interval ever analyzed. Since SCS has repeatedly been shown to have superior efficacy to CMM in randomized clinical trials, the current study demonstrating improved long-term health economics at 1, 3, 6, and 9 years supports the long-term cost utility of SCS in the treatment of FBSS patients. Key words: Failed back surgery syndrome, spinal cord stimulation, back pain, leg pain, neuromodulation, FBSS, SCS.
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Meralgia paraesthetica (MP) is a condition originally described by Bernhardt in 1878 and was eventually named by Roth in 1895. It is caused by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) resulting in varying types of discomfort. Severity of the symptoms can range from mildly uncomfortable to painfully disabling. ⋯ In our patients, the MP syndrome was clearly related to the operation because symptoms appeared in the immediate post-operative period and were not present beforehand. LVR is a relatively new and evolving procedure with few reports of associated peri-operative complications. Key words: Meralgia paraesthetica, laparoscopy, rectopexy, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve.