title: Sacral rhizotomy: a salvage procedure in a patient with autonomic dysreflexia.
abstract: METHODS
  Case report.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To show the feasibility of sacral deafferentation as a salvage procedure to resolve life-threatening autonomic dysreflexia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paraplegic center in Switzerland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a patient presenting with acute autonomic dysreflexia leading to cardiac arrest, sacral deafferentation could prevent further episodes of autonomic dysreflexia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with spinal cord injury, autonomic dysreflexia can be triggered by the bladder even without detrusor overactivity. In these cases, sacral deafferentation may be the only salvage procedure to prevent further serious health problems. Thus, this procedure augments the armamentarium of urologists dealing with patients suffering from spinal cord lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuro-Urology, Swiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland. juergen.pannek@paranet.ch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pannek
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Göcking
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bersch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020211:Autonomic Dysreflexia / Q000601:surgery*; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008160:Lumbosacral Plexus / Q000601:surgery*; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000150:complications; D019051:Rhizotomy; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications