Effective local anesthesia for onabotulinumtoxin A injections to treat hyperhidrosis associated with traumatic amputation. Shi, Lucy L; Sargen, Michael R; Chen, Suephy C; Arbiser, Jack L; Pollack, Brian P

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 i...
Source: Dermatology Online Journal - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research