A Technical Report on the Performance of Percutaneous Cryoneurolysis of Splanchnic Nerves for the Treatment of Refractory Abdominal Pain in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer: Initial Experience

Purpose To report our preliminary results upon feasibility, efficacy and safety of percutaneous splanchnic nerves cryoneurolysis for the treatment of abdominal pain refractory to conservative medication in patients with pancreatic cancer Materials Methods Institutional database research (retrospective review of prospectively collected data from April 2019 till August 2020) identified 5 patients with pancreatic cancer and pain refractory to conservative medication who underwent percutaneous cryoneurolysis of splanchnic nerves. In all patients, percutaneous cryoneurolysis was performed with posterolateral paravertebral approach using a 17 Gauge cryoprobe under computed tomography guidance and local anesthesia. Self-reported pain scores were assessed before and at the last follow-up using a pain inventory with visual analog scale (VAS) units. Results Mean patient age was 63.81 years (male-female: 3-2). Mean pain score prior to cryoanalgesia of splanchnic nerves was 9.4 VAS units. This score was reduced to a mean value of 2.6, 2.6 and 3 VAS units at 1, 3 and 6 months of follow-up, respectively. All patients reported significantly reduced analgesic usage. No complication was reported according to the CIRSE classification system. The mean procedure time was 44.4 min (range 39-50 min), including local anesthesia, cryoprobe(s) placement, ablation and post-procedural CT evaluation. Conclusion Percutaneous cryoanalgesia of the splanchnic nerves is a minimally invasive, safe and effective procedure for pancreatic cancer pain relief. A larger, randomized trial is justified to substantiate these findings.