Nitrous Oxide for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain.

Background: Neuropathic back pain is mediated, at least partially, by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is an NMDA receptor antagonist. We therefore tested the primary hypothesis that patients receiving N2O have lower pain scores after epidural steroid injection than patients not receiving N2O.

Ultrasound-guided pulsed radio frequency treatment in Morton's neuroma.

Background: Morton's neuroma is a perineural fibrosis of an intermetatarsal plantar nerve. Burning, numbness, paresthesia, and tingling down the interspaces of involved toes may also be experienced. Taking into account all of this information, we designed a prospective open-label study to evaluate the efficacy of pulsed radio frequency on Morton's neuroma.

Treatment of compensatory hyperhidrosis of the trunk with radiofrequency ablation.

Objectives: Although Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy is a widely accepted treatment method for patients with palmar hyperhidrosis, compensatory hyperhidrosis of the trunk remains a challenging side effect of the procedure. No satisfactory treatment options for this side effect were available until now. In this study, we aimed to define a new procedure for the treatment of compensatory hyperhidrosis of the trunk.

Comparison of the postoperative analgesic efficacy of an ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block versus 3 in 1 block in hip prosthesis surgery.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to compare the postoperative analgesic efficiency of an ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block and a 3 in 1 block in patients who underwent hip prosthesis surgery as a result of hip fracture.

Methods: With approval from the local ethics committee, 70 patients, aged 20 to 80, undergoing hip prosthesis surgery under elective conditions were included in this randomized, prospective, controlled study. They were informed of the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device and visual analog scale (VAS).

Comparison of three techniques for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve catheter insertion: a randomized, blinded trial.

Background: Ultrasound guidance for continuous femoral perineural catheters may be supplemented by electrical stimulation through a needle or through a stimulating catheter. The authors tested the primary hypothesis that ultrasound guidance alone is noninferior on both postoperative pain scores and opioid requirement and superior on at least one of the two. Second, the authors compared all interventions on insertion time and incremental cost.

Preoperative angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use is not associated with increased postoperative pain and opioid use.

Aim/objectives/background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) increase potent proinflammatory and pain mediators in local tissues. Consistent with these observations, animal and human studies demonstrate that ACEIs have hyperalgesic and proinflammatory properties. However, there is no information in literature whether or not the use of ACEIs is associated with increased postoperative pain.

Results of the assessment of the council of multidisciplinary pain.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to emphasize the necessity of multidisciplinary pain council by demonstrating the patient profile, treatment approaches, outcomes, and patient satisfaction levels obtained from our council.

Methods: In this study, the age, gender, number of council evaluations, diagnoses and recommended therapies of patients were determined retrospectively. The status of the patients >1 year, outcomes of the therapies, and satisfaction levels of the patients were questioned on the phone.

A new target of percutaneus sympathic radiofrequency thermocoagulation for treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis: T4.

Objectives: Hyperhidrosis is thought to result from a functional impairment of the sympathic nervous system. In this study, percutaneous T4 sympathic radiofrequency (RF) thermocoagulation was used to treat palmar hyperhidrosis which does not respond to conservative treatment. The results were evaluated in terms of safety, efficiency and patient satisfaction.

Effect of radiofrequency ablation and comparison with surgical sympathectomy in palmar hyperhidrosis.

Objectives: Hyperhidrosis is a the disorder of excessive sweating in certain regions of the body. It is usually treated with surgical sympathectomy. Radiofrequency therapy has been successfully used for sympatholysis.

[A comparison of the efficacy of bupivacaine and levobupivacaine in patient-controlled epidural analgesia for postoperative pain in patients undergoing knee arthroplasty].

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to compare the efficacy of bupivacaine and levobupivacaine in the patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) in patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA), particularly with cardiac diseases.

Patients And Methods: Forty-four patients (16 males, 28 females; mean age 70.2±6.

Chemotherapy within 30 days before surgery does not augment postoperative mortality and morbidity.

Background: Preoperative chemotherapy is frequently given to shrink or decrease the chance of metastasis. However, chemotherapy has well-recognized side effects that may complicate the perioperative period. We therefore tested the hypotheses that chemotherapy within 30 days before cancer surgery is associated with an increased risk of mortality and with a composite of major morbidities within 30 postoperative days.

[Assessment of the effectiveness of lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injection for low back pain].

Objectives: Transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) is a minimally invasive technique used for low back pain. We aimed to assess the efficiency of TFESI in patients with low back pain who did not respond to conservative or surgical methods.

Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of the records of 37 patients (range: 24-80 years) who presented to our clinic with low back pain and were treated by TFESI.

A novel treatment of chronic orchialgia.

We evaluated the effectiveness of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) denervation of spermatic cord for the treatment of chronic orchialgia. Five patients diagnosed with chronic orchialgia were evaluated with a thorough medical and psychiatric history, physical examination, and scrotal Doppler ultrasound, urinary system x-ray film, and urine analyses. One of the patients had bilateral chronic orchialgia.

Pulsed radiofrequency in the treatment of coccygodynia.

Objectives: Coccygodynia is a clinical condition characterized by pain and tenderness around the coccygeal region. Trauma is the most common etiologic factor. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment in patients with coccygodynia that could not be relieved by classic treatment protocols, and we present our long-term results with caudal epidural PRF.

Extraperitoneal laparoscopy-assisted percutaneous nephrolithotomy in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) patients represent a challenge to all physicians, as they do for anesthetists and urologists, when they develop symptomatic stones in the urinary tract. We recently treated an OI patient with renal pelvic stone by extraperitoneal laparoscopy-assisted percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). To our knowledge, this combined treatment modality has not been reported previously in OI.

[A clinic's experiences in postoperative patient controlled analgesia].

Objectives: Postoperative analgesia technique varies depending on the operation, patient, anesthetist, and circumstances. PCA (patient controlled analgesia) is an effective way of supporting postoperative analgesia. In this study, we aimed to present the efficacy and safety of our postoperative PCA treatment and the patient profile along with the requirements, preferences and decision-making process.

Proanthocyanidin protects intestine and remote organs against mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Background: Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (IR) induces a systemic inflammatory response and releases harmful substances that may affect the function and integrity of distant organs such as lung, liver, and kidney. We conducted this study to find out if proanthocyanidins (PA) has protective effects against mesenteric IR injury and mesenteric IR-induced intestinal and distant organ injury.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control, control + PA, IR, IR + PA.

A novel treatment modality in patients with premature ejaculation resistant to conventional methods: the neuromodulation of dorsal penile nerves by pulsed radiofrequency.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most common sexual problem experienced by men, and it affects 20%-30% of them. Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) neuromodulation has been shown to be an effective treatment for a wide range of pain conditions. We used PRF to treat PE by desensitizing dorsal penile nerves in patients resistant to conventional treatments.

Ameliorative effects of proanthocyanidin on renal ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Introduction: Several natural products have been reported to have beneficial effects on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, particularly from a preventative perspective. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the efficiency of proanthocyanidin (PA), a natural product derived from grape seed, on renal dysfunction and injury induced by I/R of rat kidney.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham-operated, I/R, I/R+PA.

Comparison of sciatic psoas compartment block and sciatic femoral 3-in-1 block for knee arthroscopy.

Study Objectives: To compare the clinical effectiveness of two peripheral nerve block techniques combined with sciatic nerve block: sciatic psoas compartment (SPC) and sciatic femoral 3-in-1 (SF 3-in-1) block.

Design: Prospective, randomized study.

Setting: Military medical academy hospital.