Phantom Limb Pain and Regional Anaesthesia

摘要

Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a common, devastating consequence of an amputation. PLP is often a chronic, disabling condition which diminishes the quality of life of the patients. The treatment of PLP is difficult and many various treatment regimes are in use. Medical treatment is the most effective, however not all patients can be treated successful. Therefore, some efforts have been undertaken to prevent the development of PLP after an amputation. One of the options is the perioperative use of regional analgesia - starting at least two days before amputation. Although there are some conflicting results, the recent study performed by Karanikolas 2011 seems to confirm it. The results of this study further support the notion that providing good pain control before amputation may be one of the best options for reducing the risk of PLP after amputation.