Pain physician
-
Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) results from leaks developing in the dura mater. The major symptom is orthostatic headache which gradually disappears after lying down. Lumbar epidural blood patches (EBPs) can be effective in relieving headaches, however, thoracic and cervical EBPs have also been applied to alleviate the symptoms. ⋯ Performing thoracic-targeted EBPs as the preferred approach theoretically improves results with respect to those observed with lumbar EBPs. The immediate response was comparable with that of other reports, but the long-term success rate (90%) turned out to be very effective in terms of both quality of headache relief and very low incidence of recurrence.
-
Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) not only has physical implications, but also affects the quality of life in breast cancer survivors. Despite numerous studies of various therapies, the optimal treatment for BCRL is unknown. ⋯ TSGB in BCRL patients appears to be effective in decreasing the affected arm circumference. TSGB may be an alternative option in BCRL patients who do not respond to conservative therapy.