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Thermocoagulation of the Substantia Gelatinosa for Pain Relief — (Preliminary Report)

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Phantom and Stump Pain

Abstract

After severe avulsion injuries to the brachial plexus, approximately 70% of all patients complain of pain in the denervated arm [11]. Although these pains diminish gradually in most of the patients, 20% of them develop intractable pain which is so severe that they can no longer follow a profession. Results of previous therapies with cordotomy, dorsal column stimulation, and stereotaxic brain surgery have not been encouraging in such patients [3, 11]. Considering that cordotomy or stereotaxic mesencephalotomy might cause permanent deficits of function, the indication for these surgical techniques in these patients, who are mostly of an age between 15 and 25 years old, has to be regarded with the utmost caution.

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© 1981 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Samii, M. (1981). Thermocoagulation of the Substantia Gelatinosa for Pain Relief — (Preliminary Report). In: Siegfried, J., Zimmermann, M. (eds) Phantom and Stump Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68264-3_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68264-3_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-11041-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-68264-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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