Anterolateral Chordotomy for Relief of Pain

Abstract

Among the factors which have been cited as influencing the success or failure of chordotomy are the disease responsible for the pain, addiction to drugs, duration of pain, neurosis, organic neurologic involvement, localization of the pain, the type of anesthesia, and the depth of the operative incision. An analysis of the results of chordotomy in 121 patients is presented which considers these and other aspects of the operation. Chordotomy relieved the pain completely in 67 per cent of the cases, produced a fair result in 21 per cent, and failed in 7 per cent.