title: Use of continuous paravertebral analgesia to facilitate neurologic assessment and enhance recovery after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair.
abstract: Neurologic assessment after thoracic aortic aneurysm repair is important for detecting and treating late onset paraplegia. Traditional methods of pain control, such as patient-controlled IV analgesia and epidural analgesia, may interfere with neurologic assessment. We present a case of a patient who received continuous thoracic paravertebral analgesia that provided excellent analgesia while preserving the ability to monitor neurologic function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provided postoperative continuous paravertebral analgesia in a patient after thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair requiring postoperative neurologic assessment. Paravertebral analgesia provides unilateral analgesia with fewer neurologic and hemodynamic side effects than central neuraxial blockade and should be considered for management of patients undergoing thoracic aortic aneurysm repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.
authors.forename: Timothy S J
authors.initials: TSJ
authors.lastname: Shine
authors.forename: Roy A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Greengrass
authors.forename: Neil G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Feinglass
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000379:methods*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics