Spinal cord stimulation: a possible therapeutic alternative for chronic mesenteric ischaemia

A 78-year-old male patient had chronic, unrelieved abdominal pain due to mesenteric ischaemia. Unsuccessful pharmacological approaches included oral morphine plus coadjuvants as well as a sympathetic celiac plexus block which gave pain relief that lasted for 72 h. In order to obtain long-lasting relief, a trial epidural stimulating electrode was implanted after obtaining informed consent and Ethical Committee approval. Complete analgesia was achieved during a trial period of 2 weeks. Thereafter, a spinal cord stimulator was implanted. At the time of writing, 11 months after implantation, the degree of analgesia is complete. We believe that spinal cord stimulation may represent an alternative approach in controlling pain due to mesenteric ischaemia. (C) 2000 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.