Long-Term Durability of Bilateral Two-Level Stellate Ganglion Blocks in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Six-Month Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common neuropsychiatric condition with a complex etiology. Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) is a novel but well-observed procedure for treating the disorder. However, the long-term durability of SGB has yet to be established. The primary objective of this study was to determine if performing ultrasound-guided, bilateral, two-level cervical sympathetic chain block (2LCSB) is associated with PTSD symptom improvement across six months. A secondary objective was to characterize treatment effects between trauma types. A retrospective chart review was conducted, and 75 patients meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified. Posttraumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) scores were collected throughout a six-month period post-procedure. In addition, patients were asked to identify the category of trauma associated with their PTSD diagnosis. Nearly all (96%) patients showed significant improvement in their PCL-5 scores between the baseline and six months, with an average improvement of 55.48%. This is the first study to be conducted that examines the effects associated with SGB over a time period of greater than one month. Bilateral 2LCSB may provide durable PTSD symptom improvement for six months. However, additional research is necessary to establish causality.

Keywords

• stellate ganglion block
• stellate ganglion
• posttraumatic stress disorder
• posttraumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5
• two-level cervical sympathetic chain block
• military medicine