"For a GREAT article on the subject, written for the general reader, see, "The Painful Truth: The Iraq war is a new kind of hell, with more survivors - but more maimed, shattered limbs - than ever, a revolution in battlefield medicine is helping them conquer the pain," by Steve Silberman, Wired, Issue 13.02 - February 2005 http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1...ain&topic_set= The story tells the tale about how one anesthesiologist from Walter Reed revolutionized the treatment of horrific battlefield injuries, all by pumping local anesthetics into the site of the wound. "

Hi Mike,

Great article. This is the same technique I was given following my surgery in Germany this past summer. I had the pump going continuously for 1 week. German doctors consider this the "gold standard" for treating newly diagnosed RSD cases and have been using it with great success for years (they call it a peridural anesthesia for the lower limbs). For the upper limbs my doctor said that they can access the nerves through a spot somewhere in the neck area. I'm happy to see that it is finally making its way to North American hospitals because it will make a huge difference.

MsL

Excellent information Mike!

I stand corrected...

EJ

hi, I to woke from surgery w/rsd rt hand/arm, now in lt arm - I had 2nd opinion from Specialist who adm surgeon pull my shoulder into incorrect position injuring brachial nerve causing this condition - that has been 14 mos ago and now I am on disability - I have been researching as well to find if there are any legal grounds -

My ortho surgeon said my RSD developed because i didn't take any pain meds after my ankle surgery..which consisted of reattaching two major ligaments and removing two hunks of bone that the ligaments had pulled away from the fibula.

Granted, it was hell to not have anything to help with pain,(my choice) but I thought I could bear it and I did..It was horrible. (pain meds make me sick)....(but I'm taking Neurontin now....)

I wonder why he didn't tell me that if I didn't take pain meds, I would be susceptible to RSD....he never mentioned RSD..like many of us I had never heard of it until the monster disease started chomping on my foot....( besides the pain, I now get burn in both feet/legs..) IF he had told me I could develop RSD if I don't take pain meds, I would have taken them!!!!

My question is, why did folks who did take pain meds after surgery develop RSD anyway, despite the help of the pain meds!! Is the doc's theory wrong?

Pain, pain go away........

hope4thebest

Some of the arm/shoulder surgery positioning & injury can be a cause of thoracic outlet syndrome {TOS}also.

I don't know that his statement is correct. I haven't heard that before.

Almost makes me wonder if he is trying to put some of the blame onto you, instead of just saying " I'm very sorry but you have RSD now as an after effect of the surgery."

You might have just been one that would had gotten RSD anyway from any surgery and whether or not you took the pain meds or not..

Lori A stupid nurse told me over the phone the reason I have RSD is from having 9 different types of operations?? Imagine that?? The only operations I have ever had was necessary ones for endo gall bladder knee surgery and 2 vocal cord surgeries??