Exciting new research, to be presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, reveals a groundbreaking technique called interventional cryoneurolysis, capable of regenerating damaged nerves using a frozen needle under advanced imaging guidance. This cutting-edge method offers hope to patients suffering from persistent pain following traumatic injuries and may provide a non-opioid alternative for pain management.
Conducted by researchers at Emory University, the study focused on treating eight patients with chronic nerve pain resulting from prior traumas. CT-guided interventional cryoneurolysis employs imaging to precisely place a needle and freeze the damaged nerves, leading them to degenerate and lose function. The remarkable part of the process is the potential for regeneration—if the nerve is exposed to the right amount of cold over the correct area and time, it can be replaced with a healthy nerve.
Remarkably, the study found that the average time from traumatic injury to the procedure was 9.5 years, yet all patients experienced regeneration of the targeted nerve, with no procedure-related complications. In six of the eight patients, pain symptoms significantly improved after regeneration, reflected in a collective decrease of 4.6 points in Visual Analog Scale pain scores.
Lead author J. David Prologo, MD, FSIR, ABOM-D, an interventional radiologist and associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine, expressed his optimism about the potential applications of this technique. “We are using this regeneration technique not only to manage nerve pain induced by trauma—but also for pudendal neuralgia, post mastectomy pain, post-surgical pain, and many other conditions historically managed with narcotics,” said Prologo.
Prologo believes that the intervention cryoneurolysis, combined with the skillset of interventional radiology, can access and treat pain generators that were previously unreachable, providing new hope for patients struggling with pain. This revolutionary technique opens up exciting possibilities for non-invasive pain relief and could significantly impact the management of complex pain conditions in the future.
By Impact Lab