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Stereotactic hypothalamotomy for the alleviation of pain in malignant tumors
Author(s) -
Fairman David
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.2930050202
Subject(s) - medicine , intractable pain , pain relief , surgery , anesthesia , pain syndrome , appetite
In this paper the results of hypothalamotomy in 12 cases out of our series of 155 consecutive thalamic tractotomies are discussed. Satisfactory relief of pain was obtained in 80% of the cases with no operative mortality and a 10% of reversible complications. The pain relief lasted for the complete period of survival. A marked increase of appetite was observed in six of the cases with a definite improvement of the cachectic syndrome. A working hypothesis is presented based on phylogenetic and neurophysiological experimental work.