Lumbar sympathectomy

Preparation for the treatment The treatment takes place in the OCP Medical Center. The treatment is performed by an anesthesiologist from the OCP Medical Center. You do not have to make any preparations at home unless specifically stated. You do not have to fast on the day of the treatment. You’ll arrive at the clinic about half an hour before the treatment. You will be escorted to your private room, where you can change into a gown. Before the procedure starts, a nurse and / or doctor will bring you to the treatment room. The treatment After applying an IV you will lay on your stomach. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. the skin of the back is disinfected. After a local anesthetic (2-4 ml lidocaine 2%) in the back at the level of the loin, the doctor places one or two needles in your back under fluoroscopy. With the help of contrast fluid and possibly a test current, the doctor checks the position of the needles. Then you will be injected with a chemical liquid (1 ml fenol 6% per needle) and/or the nerves will be heated through the needle(s). This will block the nerves. The treatment takes about 10 minutes. After the treatment you’ll stay in the recovery room for about half an hour, after which you will be brought to your room.

After the treatment Usually one hardly experiences side effects from the treatment and can go home about an hour after the treatment. There may, however, be a temporary loss of strength in the legs. Therefore, you are not able to drive. It is therefore important that you are traveling with a companion and we advise you to ensure that someone can bring you home. During the day of treatment it is advisable to take it easy. You may do what feels right, but physical labour is strongly discouraged. Possible side effects As a result of the blood vessel dilatation, a drop in blood pressure can occur. Therefore your blood pressure will be checked up to fifteen minutes after the treatment. A numb feeling at, and around, the injection spot from the needles in normal. This fades within days. In a lot of cases post-operative pain occurs. This pain can last for a several weeks. You can take paracetamol (according to instructions) to ease the pain. Your legs, feet and/or toes can swell a bit because of the improved blood flow. This disappears after a few weeks. If you are allergic of contrast fluid, you may experience itching, rashes and shortness of breath. Based on the cause of your pain, your specialist will assess if a physical treatment is necessary. Based on the medical history the necessity of additional tests will be decided.