Pain Treatment
Nerve block is an advanced medical procedure based on injecting anesthetics or steroids around nerves that transmit pain signals from a tumor or affected area to the brain. This procedure can provide temporary or prolonged relief from severe chronic pain.
To ensure maximum precision and minimize risks, these blocks are always performed under the guidance of advanced real-time imaging, such as fluoroscopy (X-ray), CT, or ultrasound.
In the Head and Neck region, interventional radiology offers solutions for complex pains that do not respond to standard medication. A Trigeminal Nerve Block is used to relieve severe facial pain, trigeminal neuralgia, and intense migraines. Additionally, a Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block is a highly effective tool for treating cluster headaches, migraines, and chronic facial pain from various sources.
In the Abdominal cavity, a Celiac Block is performed. This procedure involves injecting anesthetic around the celiac ganglion, a nerve cluster located in the upper abdomen near the pancreas.
This treatment is designed to relieve intense internal pain and is typically performed on patients with pancreatic tumors or other upper abdominal tumors causing significant pain.
For patients suffering from Leg pain, a Lumbar Sympathetic Block is performed. This procedure is intended to relieve chronic pain in the lower limbs and lower abdomen.
The treatment has proven particularly effective in cases of vascular neuropathy (due to blood flow issues), diabetic neuropathy, or painful neuropathy developing as a result of chemotherapy.
If nerve blocks provided relief but the pain returned, Nerve Ablation can be performed. Methods include ethanol injection, cryoneurolysis (freezing), or Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), providing longer-term relief.
Among the advantages are
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Highly focused and precise due to the use of advanced imaging guiding the needle directly to the pain source.
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The procedure requires no surgical incisions, and is usually performed under local anesthesia and mild sedation.
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Provide rapid and sometimes immediate relief from severe pain that does not respond to routine medication.
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Allows for a reduction in the use of potent painkillers (like opioids), thereby preventing their side effects.
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Serves as an important diagnostic tool, allowing to accurately locate which nerve is responsible for the pain.
Disadvantages and risks
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Temporary numbness, tingling, or weakness may occur in the treated area, usually resolving within a few hours.
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There is a low risk of bleeding, hematoma, or infection at the needle insertion site.
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Rarely, accidental damage to adjacent nerves or blood vessels near the injection site may occur.
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The effect of a nerve block is sometimes temporary, and the patient may require repeat treatments.