Ischemic Pain

Abstract

This article discusses the pathophysiology, presentation, cause, and treatment of ischemic pain in the surgical patient. Causes of ischemic pain vary but all fundamentally cause local acidosis in the peripheral tissues, which causes signals to be passed through ascending pain pathways to the thalamus and eventual cerebral cortex where it is interpreted as ischemic pain. Ischemic pain is classically associated with an insidious onset but can present in the acute or chronic setting. Treatments are aimed at improving perfusion to the affected tissue. Surgical options include repairing damaged vessels, bypassing diseased vessels, performing thrombectomy, or embolectomy. Numerous conservative therapies exist.

Keywords: Ischemia; Ischemic pain; Ischemic surgical pain.