Skully,

I recently read your post regarding a nerve block for meralgia paresthetica. I am a Harvard-trained plastic and peripheral nerve surgeon and also use nerve blocks to help in the diagnosis of this condition. However, in my hands, the nerve block is as diagnostic test, not a treatment modality. In other words, if the physical exam suggests MP and there is a positive Tinel sign on physical exam, that to me is a sign of peripheral nerve compression (just like carpal tunnel syndrome). If the patient responds positively to a nerve block they are a candidate for a decompression procedure to hopefully give them more permanent relief. This procedure is done as an outpatient and often takes less than two hours. As you know, meralgia paresthetica (compression of the lateral femoral or lateral femoral cutaneous nerves is a condition which results in a lot of anterior and lateral thigh (sometimes buttock) pain. Most people do no know this it can be very successfully treated with decompression surgery. It is a procedure I have performed on more than one occasion. In fact, I presented my results with this very procedure at the California Society of Plastic Surgeons Meeting last May. In that series of patients, the pre-operative pain intensity score was 9.4/10 and post-op was only 1/10.