Spinal cord stimulation as a novel approach to the treatment of refractory neuropathic mediastinal pain.

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) offers new hope for patients with neuropathic pain. SCS "neuromodulates" the transmission and response to "painful" stimuli. The efficacy of SCS has been established in the treatment of a variety of neuropathic pain conditions and more recently in refractory angina pectoris, peripheral vascular disease, and failed back surgery syndrome. Recent publications suggest that visceral pain could be successfully treated with SCS. We report the first successful use of a spinal cord stimulator in the treatment of refractory neuropathic mediastinal, esophageal, and anterior neck pain following esophagogastrectomy.