title: Midazolam as an effective drug for severe phantom limb pain in a patient after undergoing spinal anesthesia for two consecutive surgeries in the contralateral lower limb.
abstract: Recurrence or exacerbation of phantom limb pain induced by regional anesthesia including spinal anesthesia, epidural anesthesia, and peripheral nerve block has been described in a few reports. This is a rare phenomenon, but it can occur in any amputee with or without a history of previous phantom limb pain. We describe a case whose phantom pain of the amputated limb stump was twice induced by spinal anesthesia during two consecutive surgeries in the contralateral lower limb. It was revealed that midazolam was successful in treating this rare phantom limb pain after spinal anesthesia. Here, we discuss the management of phantom limb pain during spinal anesthesia and the anesthetic management for subsequent surgery in patients with previous spinal anesthesia-induced phantom limb pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, and School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Ching-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ying-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang