Man undergoes rare procedure for postoperative pain

Apollo Cancer Centre treats debilitating pain post-tumour removal with innovative spinal cord stimulator, pioneering advanced pain management technology.

A 30-year-old man from Oman was treated for debilitating pain post removal of testicular tumour. The patient had been suffering from excruciating pain in the inguinal region for two years.

At the Apollo Cancer Centre, the doctors examined the patient and found that the genitofemoral nerve that emerges from the spine and passes through muscles to reach the inguinal region was damaged during the surgery to remove the tumour. This resulted in neuralgia. The pain had radiated to his thigh from the groin over the two years. He could sit only in a crouched position.  

The patient was advised a procedure to treat the pain sensation.

Anand Murugesan, intervention pain specialist, said the injury was to the spinal dorsal root ganglion. A spinal cord stimulator was implanted in the patient to stimulate the ganglion and, thereby, block the pain sensation originating from the nerve.  

Appaji Krishnan, Senior Consultant (Spine Surgery), said the self-stimulating electronic device will work for 10 years, after which the battery must be replaced. “The recent advancement in pain management is to stimulate the nerve. Electric impulses block the pain signal from reaching the brain,” he said. 

Harshad Reddy, Director, Apollo Proton Care Centre, lauded the doctors for meticulously planning the procedure. Apollo Hospitals was at the forefront of using cutting-edge technology, he said, adding that this was the first time the procedure was done in the country.