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MULTIDISCIPLINARY PAIN ABSTRACTS: 9
. Anesthesia (9)
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
pain practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1533-2500
pISSN - 1530-7085
DOI - 10.1111/j.1533-2500.2004.04007_9.x
Subject(s) - medicine , epidural space , lumbar , endoscope , surgery , back pain , endoscopy , chronic pain , physical therapy , pathology , alternative medicine
Determination and therapy of the underlying pathology in chronic pain syndrome in the lumbar spine is frequently difficult. Minimally invasive and microsurgical techniques may offer advantages. Epiduroscopy is available for visualization of the lumbar epidural space. Ninety‐three patients with chronic back‐leg pain syndrome were epiduroscopically operated on. When findings were appropriate, mechanical instruments and the holmium:YAG laser were applied therapeutically. Some of these patients (45.9%) presented with positive results in postoperative examination. Pathomorphological processes corresponding to the multifactorial pain processes, which escape detection in modern imaging procedures, can be diagnosed in the epidural space using epiduroscopy. Therapeutic intervention is basically possible. However, use is limited due to technical difficulties. Navigation of the endoscope is especially limited in access via the hiatus sacralis.