Pain physician
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of the effects of adding dexmedetomidine versus midazolam to intrathecal bupivacaine on postoperative analgesia.
Dexmedetomidine and midazolam both modulate spinal analgesia by different mechanisms, and yet, no human studies are available to compare them for postoperative analgesia after neuraxial administration. ⋯ The addition of dexmedetomidine (5 mcg) to 3 mL of intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine (0.5%) significantly prolongs the duration of effective analgesia in comparison to 1 mg midazolam or placebo (0.9% normal saline) with a comparable incidences of side effects.
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Stereotactic radiosurgery is accepted as an alternative for patients with refractory trigeminal neuralgia, but existing evidence is fundamentally based on the Gamma Knife, which is a specific device for intracranial neurosurgery, available in few facilities. Over the last decade it has been shown that the use of linear accelerators can achieve similar diagnostic accuracy and equivalent dose distribution. ⋯ Paucity of literature and clear lack of clarification for clinical utilization of this technique.
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Case Reports
Pain relief with percutaneous trochanteroplasty in a patient with bilateral trochanteric myelomatous lytic lesions.
Multiple myeloma is a hematologic malignancy associated with destructive bone loss. Lytic lesions, a hallmark of this cancer, can result in significant morbidity because of associated pain and structural osseous compromise. Osteoplasty has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of myelomatous pain within the axial skeleton; however, there is limited evidence supporting the utility of osteoplasty to treat extra-spinal lesions. ⋯ The intended goals of this novel procedure were to determine the cause of the suspected lytic lesions, provide pain relief, and offer structural stability by safely implanting bone cement as part of a fracture prevention strategy. At 12 month follow-up, the patient's pain improved by 70% and she no longer required the use of pain medication. The patient also displayed a significant improvement in her day-to-day functioning and quality of life.
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Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common operations performed worldwide. Intractable pain following this operation is a potential debilitating complication. The exact etiology of this complex pain is unknown and the treatment of chronic pain after inguinal herniorrhaphy can be a difficult task for both the patient and the clinician. ⋯ This study is a retrospective assessment of a new technique that was applied to a limited number of cases. It remains to be determined whether this technique is superior to the classical open surgical technique in the future. Our findings warrant further studies on the utilization of peripheral nerve stimulation with chronic post herniorrhaphy pain.