Complications of lumbar sympathetic block
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Lumbar sympathetic block (LSB) is a commonly performed procedure for the diagnosis and treatment of various clinical conditions. It can be performed by local anesthetics, neurolytic agents or a radiofrequency lesion generator, and the procedure can be applied according to the experience and education of the clinician by using fluoroscopy, computed tomography, and ultrasound. The genitofemoral nerve is the sensory nerve most at risk at LSB. A second nerve that might cause problems is the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. The paravertebral approach under fluoroscopic guidance is the most commonly used technique. The complications of LSB may be categorized as needle trauma, intravascular injection, and anomalous spread of the injectate. Frequent complications are bruising, swelling, and soreness at the site of injection. Even after all precautions are taken into consideration, complications may happen. Therefore, precise attention should be required for all steps of the algorithm. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.