Techniques in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Management
Volume 9, Issue 2 , Pages 73-80 , April 2005

Stellate ganglion block: Emphasis on the new oblique fluoroscopic approach

  • Salahadin Abdi, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
    • Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine, and Pain Management, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests and correspondence: Salahadin Abdi, MD, PhD, MGH Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 15 Parkman Street, Suite 333B, Boston, MA 02114.
  • ,
  • Yili Zhou, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine, and Pain Management, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
  • ,
  • Rajiv Doshi, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
  • ,
  • Nilesh Patel, MD

      Affiliations

    • Advanced Pain Management, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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PII: S1084-208X(05)00037-6

doi: 10.1053/j.trap.2005.05.005

Techniques in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Management
Volume 9, Issue 2 , Pages 73-80 , April 2005