Effective local anesthesia for onabotulinumtoxin A injections to treat hyperhidrosis associated with traumatic amputation.

Journal Article (Letter)

BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injections are an effective treatment for controlling hyperhidrosis at sites of amputation. Hyperesthesia associated with amputated limbs is a major barrier to performing this procedure under local anesthesia. OBJECTIVE: To present a novel method for improving local anesthesia with BTX-A injections. Methods & RESULTS: A 29-year-old military veteran with a below-the-knee amputation of his right leg was suffering from amputation site hyperhidrosis, which was impeding his ability to comfortably wear a prosthesis. Prior to presenting to our clinic, the patient received one treatment of BTX-A injections to his amputation stump while under general anesthesia for surgical repair of trauma-related injuries. In our dermatology clinic, we repeated the procedure using topical lidocaine-prilocaine (30 gm total) for local anesthesia. This provided effective relief of hyperhidrosis for 6 months, but the procedure was very painful (9/10 intensity). We repeated the same procedure 6 months later, using ice in addition to topical lidocaine-prilocaine (30 gm) for local anesthesia; this resulted in reduced pain (3/10 intensity) for the patient. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest using ice in combination with a topical anesthetic as an effective method for pain control that avoids general anesthesia in treating amputation-associated hyperhidrosis.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Shi, LL; Sargen, MR; Chen, SC; Arbiser, JL; Pollack, BP

Published Date

  • June 15, 2016

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 22 / 6

PubMed ID

  • 27617615

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1087-2108

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • United States