A Case of Erection Failure due to Unilateral Lumbar Sympathetic Block

편측 요부 교감신경절 차단에 의해 발생한 성기능 -증례 보고-

  • Shin, Dong-Yeop (Department of Anesthesiology, Sang Gye Paik Hospital, Inje University School of Medicine) ;
  • Moon, Soon-Hong (Department of Anesthesiology, Sang Gye Paik Hospital, Inje University School of Medicine) ;
  • Hong, Ki-Hynk (Department of Anesthesiology, Sang Gye Paik Hospital, Inje University School of Medicine)
  • 신동엽 (인제대학교 의과대학 상계백병원 마취과) ;
  • 문순홍 (인제대학교 의과대학 상계백병원 마취과) ;
  • 홍기혁 (인제대학교 의과대학 상계백병원 마취과)
  • Published : 1993.11.20

Abstract

We experienced a rare case of erection failure which developed after unilateral lumbar sympathetic block. A 43 year old male patient suffering from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, which had developed after multiple communitted fracture of the right ankle, underwent right lumbar sympathetic block with 99.9% alcohol. The effectiveness of the lumbar sympathetic block was evaluated by monitoring the clinical symptoms, signs and temperature changes by digital infrared thermographic imaging. Postoperatively, the temperature of the affected side limb rose about $2^{\circ}C$, but the patient's conditions gradually returned to normal. Ten days after the operation the patient complainted of difficulty in achieving an erection. The patient was examined by a urologst without much results. The patient gradually recovered his ability to achieve an erection approximately 5 weeks after the lumbar sympathetic block.

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