• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.325-329
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• 2020

Classic anesthetic techniques for the inferior alveolar nerve, lingual nerve, and long buccal nerve blockade are achieved by estimating the intended location for anesthetic deposition based on palpation, inspection, and subsequent correlation for oral anatomical structures. The present article utilizes computed tomography (CT) data to 3D print a guide for repeatable and accurate deposition of a local anesthetic at the ideal location. This technical report aims to anatomically define the ideal location for local anesthetic deposition. This process has the potential to reduce patient discomfort, risk of nerve damage, and failed mandibular anesthesia, as well as to reduce the total anesthetic dose. Lastly, as robotic-based interventions improve, this provides the initial framework for robot-guided regional anesthesia administration in the oral cavity.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2018

The most widely used method of pain control in dental practice is to block the pathway of painful impulses by local anesthesia. For a maximum effect of pain control at outpatient minor operation, regional anesthesia including nerve block must be performed. This issue includes various dental local anesthetic techniques on mandible, maxilla and considerations for selection of dental local anesthetics according to patient's age, duration of operation. Additionally, current conscious sedation technique combined with local anesthesia will be introduced for control of patient's anxiousness. Based on patient's general condition, severity of operation, local anesthesia sometimes must be changed into general anesthesia to avoid failure of dental practice. The exact choice of anesthetic techniques for minor operations at dental outpatient clinic must not be underestimated for complete success of pain control.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.245-252
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• 2016

Regional anesthesia in the maxillofacial region is safer and more efficient than general anesthesia when its indications are carefully considered. In addition, the majority of medical institutions in developing countries are not well equipped for proper anesthesia and elective surgery. In this review, we describe regional anesthesia and cutaneous nerve divisions in the maxillofacial region. In addition, we summarize detailed regional anesthetic techniques adapted for representative cleft lip cases in developing countries.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.114-119
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• 1996

Buerger's disease is a nonatherosclerogic occlusive inflammatory disease of medium and small arteries, and veins, of unknown cause. It occurs predominantly in young males who are habitual tabacco users. These patients often complain of painful ulcerations of their digits. The care of this disease is very difficult when the treatment is delayed. Consequently, early treatments are most important to patients with Buerger's disease. This disease can be treated with sympathetic block such as stellate ganglion block for upper extremities and lumbar epidural block, and lumbar sympathetic block for lower extremities. Intravascular regional sympathetic block can be another method of treatment. However, discontinuation of smoking is the most basic and essential treatment for Buerger's disease. We treated 43 Buerger's disease patients with stellate ganglion block and laser therapy. The treatment was not effective for three patients who definitely required amputation.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.291-295
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• 1997

Technique of epidural analgesia is generally regarded a safe procedures which is widely applied in postoperative and chronic pain control. Incidence of neurologic complications following epidural analgesia are rare; however, increasing number of published reports describing transient or permanent neurologic complications following such procedures have been appearing more frequently. We report two cases of neurologic complications following epidural analgesia as we believe it is important to draw the attention of other anesthesiologist to the possibility of existence of other complications of significant medicolegal consequences.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.225-230
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• 1997

Background: Authors modified the traditional continuous axillary brachial plexus block technique of Selander for purpose of increasing success rate and decreasing complications by use of commercial epidural anesthesia set. Method: Thirty-nine patients scheduled for upper extremity operations were injected with 40 ml of anesthetic solution by axillary perivascular technique, using 23~25G immobile needle at 2 cm from the pectoralis major. Tuohy needle was immediately introduced at 4 cm from the pectoralis major and pierced the expanded neurovascular sheath at an angle of 30 degree to the skin. The "pop" was well noted well. Needle was advanced 0.5 to 3.0 cm and epidural catheter introduced through the needle. After removal of needle, occlusive dressing was done. Tip of catheter and spread of solution were demonstrated by fluoroscopy with contrast dye after completion of procedure. Result: Catheter insertion was successful at first attempt for all case. Total length of insertion was from 6 to 13($10.0{\pm}1.7$) cm. Tip of catheter was placed in infraclavicular space(66.7%), about the humeral head(17.9%) and in upper arm in 3 cases as U-shape(7.9%). Catheters were maintained for $6.7{\pm}2.6$(3-12) days. There were no complications such as: perforation of major vessels, needle trauma to nerve, infection, bleeding or hematoma. Conclusion: This study demonstrated continuous axillary brachial plexus block with epidural anesthesia set is safe, easy and convenient modification of technique of Selander.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.254-257
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• 1997

Ganglion impar lies immediately anterior to the sacrococcygeal junction and blockade of the ganglion is used to treat anorectal and perineal pain. Although the technique introduced by Plancarte et at is widely practised, the bent needle is sometimes difficult to position precisely and patients find the procedure painful. We modified this approach of block of ganglion impar by positioning the needle into the sacrococcygeal junction and using the loss of resistance technique. With the patient in the lateral position, a skin wheal was raised at 1-1.5cm below the sacral hiatus. Twenty-three gauge short needle was directly placed into the sacrococcygeal junction with aid of fluoroscopic guidance. From 1 cm behind the anterior margin of the vertebral body in lateral view, we used the loss of resistance technique to confirm the retroperitoneal space. We found this modified approach easier to perform during six blocks for three patients with anorectal or perineal pain. Our modified approach through the sacrococcygeal junction may provide opportunity for wider administration of this procedure because of its simple technique, reduced pain during procedure and decreased risk of infection.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 1999

Backgroud: We have performed the CT-guided celiac plexus block (CPB) using anterior approach to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the procedure and to determine the role of CT. Methods: CPB were done in 10 patients (5 men and 5 women: mean age, 58.1 years) with intractable upper abdominal pain due to terminal malignancy of the stomach (n=3), pancreas (n=4), gallbladder (n=2), and liver (n=1). To permit an anterior approach, patients lay supine on the CT scan table during the procedure. One 21-guage Chiba needle was placed just anterior to the diaphragmatic crus between the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries and 10~12 ml of dehydrated alcohol was injected. Degree of pain relief following the procedure was assessed and pain was graded on a numeric rating scale (NRS) from 0 to 10. Results: The results suggest a direct relation between the degree of celiac invasion and the response to the CPB. With CT guidance, it is possible for us to direct the needle into more accurate region, allowing alcohol to be deposited in specific ganglion area. Conclusions: CT-guided CPB using an anterior approach was an easy and effective way of reducing intractable upper abdominal pain due to terminal malignancies. CT-guidance allowed precise needle placement and safe procedure. Careful classification of cases is important to predict the degree of pain relief using the grading system based on the degree of involvement of the celiac plexus.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.191-195
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• 2000

Background: Vascular occlusive event is one of the etiologies of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Stellate ganglion block (SGB) induces dramatic and intense vasodilatation in head and neck. Based on this principle, SGB has used as one of the treatment modalities in SNHL. This study was performed to evaluate immediate response of SGB on pure tone audiogram (PTA) in SNHL. Methods: Forty patients were studied. Each patient received daily ipsilateral SGB in paratracheal approach using 0.2% bupivacaine for 2 weeks. On first, third, and fifth day of treatment, we checked their PTA twice 1 hour before (Pre-PTA) and after (Post-PTA) SGB. Pre- and Post-PTA were compared. Several factors were analyzed as a prognostic factor of therapeutic results. Results: Eleven of 40 patients revealed decreased PTA after SGB. Degree of decreased PTA were insignificant ($2.5{\pm}1.6$ dB). Initial and final PTA results was $76.2{\pm}22.5$ and $49.8{\pm}28.3$ dB, respectively. Thirty-one of 40 patients were improved their PTA over 10 dB. The recovery was mainly influenced by the severity of initial hearing loss (P<0.001) and slightly by age (P<0.05). However, the change of PTA after SGB, time interval to receive SGB, sex, site, and number of SGB were not correlated to therapeutic outcome. Conclusions: These results suggest that vasodilatation by SGB has no immediate improvement in SNHL. Therefore, we question whether SGB is beneficial to all patients with SNHL as a therapeutic modality.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 1998

Background: Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss(ISSHL) has been generally defined as an abrupt loss of auditory acuity without precipitating factors. Since ISSHL was first described as a disease entity, numerous reports assessing a variety of treatment regimens have been published. But its etiology, pathogenesis, treatment, and prognosis are controversial at the present time. Stellate ganglion block(SGB) has been used for the treatment of ISSHL by vasodilatation and increased blood flow to the inner ear. Methods: We reviewed the records of 152 patients to investigate the efficacy of SGB for ISSHL. The control group was managed with medications such as hypaque, heparin, steroid, nicotinic acid, and vitamins. The SGB group was managed with SGB and the same medications. SGB was performed with 8 ml of 1.0% mepivacaine. The efficacy of treatment was evaluated by pure-tone average following therapy. The recovery of hearing was defined as Siegel's criteria I, II, or III. Results: The recovery rate of the SGB group was higher than that of the control group(61.5 vs. 42.9%, p<0.05). The recovery rate was higher in patients who were treated early, within 7 days from the onset of symptoms, especially in the SGB group(79.7%). And in the case that initial hearing loss was severe (>70dB), the SGB group had a higher recovery rate(64.2%) than the control group(42.5%). Conclusions: SGB is thought to be a useful therapy for ISSHL, especially in the patients who were treated soon after onset or whose initial hearing loss was severe.