Nagy Mekhail

Polyanalgesic consensus conference 2007: recommendations for the management of pain by intrathecal (intraspinal) drug delivery: report of an interdisciplinary expert panel.

Background.  Expert panels of physicians and nonphysicians in the field of intrathecal therapies convened in 2000 and 2003 to make recommendations for the rational use of intrathecal analgesics based on the preclinical and clinical literature known up to those times. An expert panel of physicians convened in 2007 to update previous recommendations and to form guidelines for the rational use of intrathecal opioid and nonopioid agents.

Safety and efficacy of peripheral nerve stimulation of the occipital nerves for the management of chronic migraine: long-term results from a randomized, multicenter, double-blinded, controlled study.

Background Recent studies evaluated short-term efficacy and safety of peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) of the occipital nerves for managing chronic migraine. We present 52-week safety and efficacy results from an open-label extension of a randomized, sham-controlled trial. Methods In this institutional review board-approved, randomized, multicenter, double-blinded study, patients were implanted with a neurostimulation system, randomized to an active or control group for 12 weeks, and received open-label treatment for an additional 40 weeks. Outcomes collected included number of headache days, pain intensity, migraine disability assessment (MIDAS), Zung Pain and Distress (PAD), direct patient reports of headache pain relief, quality of life, satisfaction and adverse events. Statistical tests assessed change from baseline to 52 weeks using paired t-tests. Intent-to-treat (ITT) analyses of all patients (N = 157) and analyses of only patients who met criteria for intractable chronic migraine (ICM; N = 125) were performed. Results Headache days were significantly reduced by 6.7 (±8.4) days in the ITT population (p < 0.001) and by 7.7 (±8.7) days in the ICM population (p < 0.001). The percentages of patients who achieved a 30% and 50% reduction in headache days and/or pain intensity were 59.5% and 47.8%, respectively. MIDAS and Zung PAD scores were significantly reduced for both populations. Excellent or good headache relief was reported by 65.4% of the ITT population and 67.9% of the ICM population. More than half the patients in both cohorts were satisfied with the headache relief provided by the device. A total of 183 device/procedure-related adverse events occurred during the study, of which 18 (8.6%) required hospitalization and 85 (40.7%) required surgical intervention; 70% of patients experienced an adverse event. Conclusion Our results support the 12-month efficacy of PNS of the occipital nerves for headache pain and disability associated with chronic migraine. More emphasis on adverse event mitigation is needed in future research. Trial registration: Clinical trials.gov (NCT00615342).

Occipital nerve electrical stimulation via the midline approach and subcutaneous surgical leads for treatment of severe occipital neuralgia : A pilot study

Persistent occipital neuralgia can produce severe headaches that may not be controllable by conservative or surgical approaches. We describe a case series of 6 patients who had chronic headaches over an average of 4.9 yr who underwent occipital nerve electrical stimulation lead implantation using a modified midline approach. The patients had received conservative and surgical therapies in the past including oral antidepressants, membrane stabilizers, opioids, occipital nerve blocks, and radiofrequency ablations. Significant decreases in pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores and drastic improvement in functional capacity were observed during the occipital stimulation trial and during the 3-mo follow-up after implantation. The mean VAS score changed from 8.66 ± 1.0 to 2.5 ± 1.3 whereas pain disability index improved from 49.8 ± 15.9 to 14.0 ± 7.4. Our midline approach has several advantages compared with the submastoid approach used elsewhere. There is only one small midline incision over the upper neck and the strain on the lead extension occurs only with flexion and is minimal with lateral flexion and rotation, which contributes to overall stability of this system.

Randomized clinical trial comparing epidural anaesthesia and patient‐controlled analgesia after laparoscopic segmental colectomy

This randomized clinical trial compared the use of thoracic epidural anaesthesia–analgesia (TEA) with morphine patient‐controlled analgesia (PCA) for pain relief after laparoscopic colectomy.

Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference 2012: Recommendations for the Management of Pain by Intrathecal (Intraspinal) Drug Delivery: Report of an Interdisciplinary Expert Panel: INTRATHECAL THERAPY CONSENSUS

Introduction:  The use of intrathecal (IT) infusion of analgesic medications to treat patients with chronic refractory pain has increased since its inception in the 1980s, and the need for clinical research in IT therapy is ongoing. The Polyanalgesic Consensus Conference (PACC) panel of experts convened in 2000, 2003, and 2007 to make recommendations on the rational use of IT analgesics based on preclinical and clinical literature and clinical experiences.

Retrospective Review of 707 Cases of Spinal Cord Stimulation: Indications and Complications

Appropriate patient selection and minimizing complications are critical for successful spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy in managing intractable pain. We thus reviewed electronic medical records of 707 consecutive cases of patients who received SCS therapy in the Cleveland Clinic from 2000 to 2005 with an emphasis on indications and complications. SCS was used to treat complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) (345 cases), failed back surgery syndrome (235 cases), peripheral vascular disease (20 cases), visceral pain in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis (37 cases), and peripheral neuropathy (70 cases). CRPS and failed back surgery syndrome accounted for 82% of the cases. The implant‐to‐trial ratio was 75% on average, with the highest for CRPS type 2 (83%) and the lowest for peripheral vascular diseases (65%). The only documented complication associated with SCS trials was lead migration in 5 of 707 patients (0.7%). There were no permanent neurological deficits or deaths as a result of SCS implant or its complications. Hardware‐related complications were common (38%) and included lead migration (22.6%), lead connection failure (9.5%), and lead breakage (6%). Revisions or replacements were required in these cases. Biologically related complications included pain at the generator site (12%) and clinical infection (4.5%; 2.5% with positive culture). The rates of infection varied among the different diagnoses with the highest in failed back surgery syndrome (6.3%). Patients with diabetes had an infection rate of 9%, over the 4% in non‐diabetics. Infections were managed successfully with explantation and antibiotic therapy without permanent sequela.

Sphenopalatine Ganglion Radiofrequency Ablation for the Management of Chronic Cluster Headache

Objectives.— Chronic cluster headache patients are often resistant to pharmacological management. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) was shown before to improve episodic cluster headache but not chronic cluster headache. We were interested to examine the effect of such intervention in patients with intractable chronic cluster headache who failed pharmacological management.

The Appropriate Use of Neurostimulation of the Spinal Cord and Peripheral Nervous System for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Ischemic Diseases: The Neuromodulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee

The Neuromodulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC) of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) evaluated evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of neurostimulation to treat chronic pain, chronic critical limb ischemia, and refractory angina and recommended appropriate clinical applications.

The appropriate use of neurostimulation of the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system for the treatment of chronic pain and ischemic diseases

The Neuromodulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC) of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) evaluated evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of neurostimulation to treat chronic pain, chronic critical limb ischemia, and refractory angina and recommended appropriate clinical applications.

12. Pain Originating from the Lumbar Facet Joints

Although the existence of a “facet syndrome” had long been questioned, it is now generally accepted as a clinical entity. Depending on the diagnostic criteria, the zygapophysial joints account for between 5% and 15% of cases of chronic, axial low back pain. Most commonly, facetogenic pain is the result of repetitive stress and/or cumulative low‐level trauma, leading to inflammation and stretching of the joint capsule. The most frequent complaint is axial low back pain with referred pain perceived in the flank, hip, and thigh. No physical examination findings are pathognomonic for diagnosis. The strongest indicator for lumbar facet pain is pain reduction after anesthetic blocks of the rami mediales (medial branches) of the rami dorsales that innervate the facet joints. Because false‐positive and, possibly, false‐negative results may occur, results must be interpreted carefully. In patients with injection‐confirmed zygapophysial joint pain, procedural interventions can be undertaken in the context of a multidisciplinary, multimodal treatment regimen that includes pharmacotherapy, physical therapy and regular exercise, and, if indicated, psychotherapy. Currently, the “gold standard” for treating facetogenic pain is radiofrequency treatment (1 B+). The evidence supporting intra‐articular corticosteroids is limited; hence, this should be reserved for those individuals who do not respond to radiofrequency treatment (2 B±).