Korean J Hosp Palliat Care.  2020 Mar;23(1):5-10. 10.14475/kjhpc.2020.23.1.5.

Celiac Plexus Neurolysis for the Treatment of Patients with Terminal Cancer at a Tertiary University Hospital in Korea

• Byeon GJ
• Park JY
• Choi YM
• Ri HS
• Yoon JU
• Choi EJ

• KMID: 2502698
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14475/kjhpc.2020.23.1.5

Abstract

Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) for the treatment of cancerous upper abdominal pain in a tertiary university hospital in Korea.
Methods
At the tertiary university hospital in Korea, electronic medical records of cancer patients who underwent CPN and died in the hospital from November 2009 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.
Results
The total number of subjects was 51. The 17 patients were from the Department of Gastroenterology (33.0%), followed by 11 patients from the Department of Hemato-oncology (21.6%), 11 patients from the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (21.6%), 9 patients from the Department of General Surgery (17.6%). The diagnosis was pancreatic cancer in 15 patients (29.4%), stomach cancer in 8 patients (15.7%), hepatobiliary cancer in 20 patients (39.2%), colon cancer in 1 patient (2.0%), esophageal cancer in 2 patient (3.9%) and intra-abdominal metastasis in 5 patients (9.8%). The mean survival time after the surgery was 66.4±55.0 days. The pain intensity before and 1 week after the procedure significantly decreased, but the amounts of opioids consumed before and 1 week after the procedure were not statistically significant. Side effects occurred after the procedure including temporary localized pain in 24 patients (47.0%), hypotension in 12 (23.5%), and diarrhea in 6 (11.8%).
Conclusion
CPN is an effective and safe procedure for reducing upper abdominal pain caused by cancer, and it is necessary to perform CPN within the appropriate time by establishing a system of interdepartmental cooperation.

Keyword

Abdominal pain; Analgesia; Celiac plexus; Cancer pain; Pain management