Stellate Ganglion Block: A Breakthrough Treatment for Post-Stroke Pharyngeal Dysphagia

All the participants were provided with the comprehensive rehabilitation (routine rehabilitation and swallowing function training). The routine rehabilitation included intervention for risk factors (blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, smoking and alcohol restriction, exercise, etc.) and pharmacological treatment (aspirin, statins, anticoagulants, etc.). Regrading swallowing function training, both groups were given swallowing function training, including 1) exercises of closure of the vocal folds, pharyngeal, and laryngeal muscles exercises, and respiratory muscle strength training, for 15 min each time and twice per day. 2) isotonic／isometric swallowing exercises, supraglottic swallowing exercises, and the Mendelsohn maneuver, for 20 min each time and twice per day. 3) effortful swallowing exercises, and cough reflex training, for 10 min each time and twice per day.

the observation group was given SGB once a day, with 10 sessions as a course of treatment and each side of the body for one course. All the materials included: 1) 1.5ml of 2% Lidocaine hydrochloride injection (1ml: 0.5mg), Vitamin B12 Injection 500ug (1ml: 0.5g), the 5 ml disposable syringe and the sterile disposable dental injection needles. The specific operation procedure was as follows\[16\]: The operator stood at the patient\'s block side, and the patient was placed in the supine position, with the head leaning 45 degrees toward the contralateral side of the block side. After routine disinfection of the skin, a paratracheal approach was adopted, which was, 2.5cm above the sternoclavicular joint and 1.5cm outside the midline of the neck.