Effect of Subarachnoid Block in Hyperreflexic Bladder

Kim, Sang Woo; Yim, Sung Bin; Yoon, Kwang Jun; Sul, Chong Koo

Abstract

Hyperreflexic bladder is a disease manifested in patients with spinal cord lesions above the sacral segment. The treatments for hyperreflexic bladder are medical therapy, interruption of innervation, argumentation cystoplasty, etc. We treated four hyperreflexic bladder patients with 12% a phenol injection into the subarachnoid space for sacral nerve block. Before treatment the average bladder capacity was about 100 ml, and there was one case of autonomic dysreflexia. After the subarachnoid block the average bladder capacity increased above 300 ml and maximal intravesical pressure decreased below 30cmH2O, autonomic dysreflexia disappeared in one patient. The decreased bladder compliance after nerve block was managed by repetitive bladder overdistention. We suggest that subarachnoid block is easier and more effective than sacral nerve block individually, and is a treatment for hyperreflexic bladder refractory to medical therapy.