Targeted pain treatment

Following treatments are used for treating the pain of cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, uterus cancer, prostate cancer, pelvic cancer, rectal cancer, kidney cancer, testicular cancer etc.

Click on Ganglion Impar treatment to understand the targeted pain treatment required to treat the pain of cervical cancer if it spreads towards the stool passage.

Click on Targeted pain relief for back pain  to know how to treat bone pain in advanced or stage 4 cervical cancer, when cancer spreads to bone and spine.

Targeted pain treatment for pelvic pain

What is the superior hypogastric plexus?

The superior hypogastric plexus refers to the bundle of pain nerves and nerve branches that provide sensation to all organs in pelvic area. The organs innervated by the superior hypogastric plexus include the bladder, urethra, uterus, vagina, vulva, perineum, prostrate, penis, testes, rectum, and descending colon.

The superior hypogastric plexus is a group of pain nerves, which carries the sensation of pain from the above mentioned organs in pelvis.  It is found in lower part of belly behind the lower part of spine.

What does a superior hypogastric plexus do?

Age related wear and tear and advanced or stage 4 cancers in the pelvic organs can cause gradually severe and unbearable pain. This pain eventually can become insensitive to painkiller medications, or may require doses that are potentially harmful to the patient.

In these cases, the pain specialist doctor may opt to “stop” all the pain signals from the pelvis by performing a superior hypogastric nerve procedure. This procedure first involves the injection of a local anesthetic, followed by neurolysis or RF ablation of the superior hypogastric plexus: this prevents pain signals from getting through, and provides the patient relief of symptoms.

What conditions benefit from a superior hypogastric plexus intervention?

This procedure is typically recommended only after common methods, such as oral painkiller medications, have been worn out. Conditions that cause severe pain in lower belly because of cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, uterus cancer, prostate cancer, pelvic cancer, rectal cancer, kidney cancer, testicular cancer etc.

How is the superior hypogastric plexus procedure done?

The procedure is a nerve intervention, and can be done in an OPD procedure room under local anesthesia.  Prior to the procedure, the needle insertion site will be prepped with an antiseptic solution such as.

Before doing actual procedure, test procedure is done, known as superior hypogastric plexus block. In test procedure, numbing medicine is given in the plexus. If that relieves your pain more than 50% immediately, it’s a clue to go for actual superior hypogastric plexus procedure.

Patients need to lie down on the belly on the procedure table. Procedure is always done with the help of x-ray machine or CT machine or ultrasound machine for accurate targeting of superior hypogastric plexus. Skin over the lower back is made numb. Through that numb skin, a needle like instrument (known as probe) is inserted and paced near the plexus. Neurolysis or RF ablation can be done then.

What are the outcomes and risks of the procedure?

The superior hypogastric plexus procedure is a well-established procedure for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain, particularly those secondary to malignancy. Multiple studies have established that majority of patients will tolerate the procedure well, and will report favorable outcomes, such as reduced symptoms of pain.

What is a neurolytic  superior hypogastric plexus intervention?

For the neurolytic superior hypogastric plexus intervention, we will use a concentrated medicated neurolytic medicine mixed with some numbing medicine. In contrast to the numbing medicine this neurolytic medicine will actually destroy the pain nerves. These selectively damaged pain nerves will not be able to let you feel the pain for a much longer time. It is very important to understand here that, this procedure does not affect the other normal roles of nerves or other nerves.

What is a Radiofrequency Ablation of Nerve?

Radiofrequency ablation of nerve or radio frequency lesion is a procedure using a specialized machine to interrupt the pain signals on a semi-permanent basis.

The basic principle of radio-frequency lesioining is placement of an insulated electrode probe into the target tissue or pain nerves and release RF waves.

When is the radiofrequency ablation of nerve used?

Radiofrequency ablation of nerve is generally used for patients with who all forms of commonly used pain medications are not giving satisfactorily pain relief. That means common methods of pain relief have failed.

Radiofrequency ablation of superior hypogastric plexus is generally advised for patients experiencing one of the below listed medical conditions:

In addition, to be a right candidate for radiofrequency ablation of superior hypogastric plexus, you must have responded well to the local anesthetic test block. ie before doing an RFA procedure, numbing medicine is given in the target pain nerves and if you get more than 50% pain relief immediately, it’s an indication to proceed for the radiofrequency ablation procedure. These two steps may be done on the same day or on different days, depending upon the patient’s condition and requirement.

What is the procedure?

The radiofrequency nerve ablation uses radio waves to produce heat directed at a specific pain nerve. The heat destroys the nerve and thus relieves pain. These damaged pain nerves will not be able to let you feel the pain for a much longer time.

In advanced stage of cancer, if cancer spreads to multiple places and patient has many pain spots; or if the above mentioned treatment fails to control the pain in few patients; Pain implant is used to treat the pain.

Click on cervical cancer to know the various sign and symptoms of early and advanced stages of cancer.

Click on palliative care treatment to know in detail about various problems faced by the patients with advanced cancer, their solutions and how to live with advanced cancer?

Click on palliative care treatment to know in detail about palliative care.

Click on contact us now to get an appointment with experts at ACCN.

Click on testimonials to see the success stories of the patients treated at ACCN.