Türk Nöroşirürji Dergisi 1990 , Vol 1 , Num 3
DREZ Operation
Yücel KANPOLAT, Haluk DEDA, Mustafa BAŞKAYA
Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Nöroşirürji Anabilim Dalı Deafferantation pain is one of the most important problems in pain surgery. Abnormal hyperactive neuronal discharges of the secondary neurons in substantia gelatinosa cause this pain. DREZ operation is designed to destroy these secondary neurons of the Dorsal Root Entry Zone. The exact details of the pathophysiology of the DREZ lesion, however is still unknown.

The DREZ operation was performed in 1980 as a method to control deafferantation pain associated with brachial plexus injury in Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery. Since then 28 DREZ operations have been done in our department. This technique was used not only in patients with deafferantation pain after brachial plexus avulsions (3 patients), but also for postparaplegic pain (14 patients), post-herpetic neuralgia (1 patient), tumors with brachial plexus deafferantation pain (5 patients) and cancerogenic and deafferantative pain located in the areas of the 5th. 7th. 9th and 10th nerves (4 patients).

DREZ operation requires careful selection of the patient and predse surgical technique to produce the lesions in order to obtain a good result. Anahtar Kelimeler : Deafferantiton pain. Dorsal Root Entry Zone lesion. Nucleus Caudalis