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Splanchnic nerve block for the treatment of benign chronic abdominal pain, a case report and literature review

Abstract:

Chronic abdominal pain of benign origin can be disabling and significantly reduces the quality of life of some patients. Common treatment includes the chronic use of opioids that have also been linked with causing different sources of pain, so alternative pharmacological treatments should be considered instead. However, when these are not effective, insufficient, or cause intolerable adverse effects, interventional pain management should be considered. In this field, the inhibition of splanchnic nerves, which is a technique that can be used to control cancer pain, could play an important role in the treatment of chronic pain of benign origin, despite the lack of solid evidence in its applicability. As far as we know, it is the first time that this procedure has been performed in Ecuador and this report suggests that it can offer positive results even after the effect of the drugs used has ended.