Cervical epidural anesthesia in tetraplegia.
The primary result of this series is that each patient participated actively during his or her procedures. The concept of selective sensory block, therefore, which was the authors' overriding reason for using CEA in secondary tendon surgery, also may be beneficial to tetraplegic patients. Nystrom and Nystrom [2] also came to this conclusion. The use of CEA in tetraplegia is and must be used only in exceptional cases. If the usual surgical techniques seem to be inadequate for a given patient, and if the surgeon wishes to assess muscle tonicity and the effect of tenodesis in vivo, CEA may be used. The patients in the authors' series have been so satisfied with the technique that this dynamic approach to the tetraplegic upper leg may be as advantageous for the patient as it is for the surgeon.
Deschodt
Jacques
J
Department of Anesthesia, Lapeyronie Hospital, 34295 Montpellier, France. j-deschodt@chu-montpellier.fr
Lubrano
Jean-François
JF
Kassim
Michèle
M
Allieu
Yves
Y
D000328:Adult; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D001132:Arm / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009407:Nerve Block; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000601:surgery*