The use of a nerve stimulator for thoracic paravertebral block.

To the Editor:—I wish to congratulate Dr. Karmakar on his very thorough and informative review on paravertebral anesthesia and analgesia. 1Dr. Karmakar has overlooked one technique of paravertebral blockade that, in my opinion, has shown particular merit and is worthy of further investigation—the use of a nerve stimulator. To my knowledge, the use of a nerve stimulator as a guide to the performance of paravertebral blockade was first alluded to by Drs. J. J. Bonica and F. P. Buckley. I have used and refined this technique for more than 5 yr now. As with any technique it has advantages and limitations. Some of its advantages include the following: