Peripheral nerve section as palliation for severe ischemic foot pain.
Multisensory peripheral nerve divisions were performed in 17 elderly patients with severe ischemia, forefoot pain and non-healing lesions or localised gangrene. They were unsuitable for a vascular reconstructive operation, or for localised foot amputation. The mean age of the patients was 73 years; 13 were males and 10 had diabetes mellitus. All were faced with a major amputation. Considerable pain relief was achieved in all patients but only five patients retained a functional lower extremity for more than 6 months. Of these five one was a diabetic and four were non diabetic. Peripheral nerve section is a useful procedure, but should be applied very selectively and only rarely in diabetic patients.
D000368:Aged; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000294:innervation; D005734:Gangrene / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000601:surgery*; D010166:Palliative Care; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000601:surgery*