Definition: Neuropathy

Neuro/pathy. Neuro: meaning pertaining to the nerves. Pathy: derived from the greek word pathos, which means sickness or disease of a particular system.

Symptoms: numbness, burning, loss of sensation, restless legs, and loss of balance can be described by the patient with peripheral neuropathy.

Cause: because diabetes and certain other diseases may cause a swelling of the nerve, areas where these peripheral nerves pass through anatomic tunnels, such as the carpal tunnel in the hand, they become chronically compressed. By decompressing an entrapped nerve, the nerve has the ability to regenerate—even in the diabetic patient. In many cases there can be a restoration of sensation, decrease in the neuropathic pain, and an increase in balance.

Treatment: There have been numerous studies which have documented that there can be a restoration of sensation, and a reduction of pain in patients with symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy after surgical neurolysis.[1-5]

Symptoms: usually pain is most severe with the first step in the morning, or after a period of rest. The pain can be described as a “stone bruise” by some, and a stabbing pain by others.

Dr. Barrett’s training and experience: Dr. Barrett was trained in peripheral nerve surgery by A. Lee Dellon, M.D., who is a professor of plastic and neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. Dr. Dellon is the innovator of peripheral nerve surgical decompression for patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and is considered one of the top peripheral nerve surgeons in the world. Dr. Dellon enlisted Dr. Barrett to operate in his Tucson, AZ Instititue for Peripheral Nerve Surgery from 2001-2004. Dr. Barrett acted as Dr. Dellon’s director of surgical education from 2001-2004, in which more than 200 surgeons were trained in lower extremity peripheral nerve surgical techniques. Dr. Barrett has also completed microsurgery training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

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