title: Spinal cord stimulation for intractable chronic upper abdominal pain: a case report of the first patient in New Zealand.
abstract: We present the first patient in New Zealand to undergo Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) for intractable upper abdominal pain. The patient was a 53-year-old man with a 20-year history of debilitating upper abdominal pain associated with chronic pancreatitis secondary to pancreatic divisum. Prior to the SCS, he was prescribed 680 mg of morphine sulphate equi-analgesia a day. Despite the intense analgesia, he still suffered monthly attacks of upper abdominal pain requiring hospitalisation. Nine months after implanting a Spinal Cord Stimulator, the monthly attacks ceased, his background pain was effectively controlled and the need for opioids decreased to 510 mg of morphine sulphate equi-analgesia a day.
authors: Haitham
authors: H
authors: Al-Mahrouqi
authors: Zea
authors: Z
authors: Munro
authors: Richard H
authors: RH
authors: Acland
authors: Martin R
authors: MR
authors: MacFarlane
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009520:New Zealand; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications*; D062187:Spinal Cord Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine