New Member - Facet Rhizotomy Surgery

[Guest guest]

My husband has chronic pancreatitis with severe pain. His Pain

Management doctor wants to perform a Rhizotomy of the Facet nerves.

I have a couple of questions:

1. How long is the recovery time from this. Another words, how long

would you have to take off of work?

2. How long does the pain relief work?

He is currently taking 90mg of Avinza per day with other medicine for

breakthrough pain. The doctor says that he can't just keep

prescribing medicine without trying to help the pain with surgery.

However, we are getting very frustrated because my husband has had 7

Intercostal and Facet nerve blocks over the last 1.25 years plus he's

also had Cryoneurolysis which was very painful but did nothing for

the pancreas pain.

I guess I'm just wondering if a life of nerve blocks is in his future.

Thanks for your help!

Debbie

[Guest guest]

First of all...sorry that your husband is going thru this..In my experience,

nerve blocks seldom work and if they do work it is only for a short time.

As far as your dr not prescribing pain meds...Find a new Dr. One who

understands pancreatitis.

There are also many alternate forms of pain relief that your husband may

want to try. I see a PT who uses Visceral manipulation on me. There are

members who have had success with acupuncture. Also, talk to your Dr about

a TENS unit. They may help with his pain. Your husband should also

consider taking antioxidants. Is your husband on enzymes? They may help

with the pain also.

Recently I was in the ER and noticed this guy across the room from me was

bent over in the same position that I was. The called us back at the same

time and since they were slammed, put us in the same room with a curtain

between us. So we talked through grunts of pain. I asked if he had

pancreatitis and he said he did and that in a week he was getting a nerve

block. I told him what I thought about them and told him of my website.

Well to make a long story longer, my cousin mentioned to me that he new of a

guy with panc and wondered if I would talk to him..I said I would be happy

to speak with him.....come to find out it was the guy that I had spoken to

in the ER...anyway, my cousin called me last week and told me that the guy

Died because of complications which happened during the Nerve block. I

guess the Dr nicked something and he got an infection and the infection

spread throughout his body and he died.

I know that many of us will grasp at anything when we are in pain to make

the pain stop. My suggestion is to try everything else first before even

touching the pancreas.

I know from experience how sensitive the pancreas is. I have had 3

surgeries over a years time, while I was in the hospital for that entire

year and only have a little of my pancreas left. So you can take my advice

or not...I am just sharing what I know. I have been dealing with this since

1987.....I have been in the ER 100's of times and admitted over and over

again.....What has helped me the most is visceral manipulation. Before I

found that...I used to go to the ER 5 to 6 times a month.....Now I go about

2 to 3 times a year, which is awesome for me...]

Nerve blocks may not work at all, or they may work for about 3

months...everyone is different on how the recover.....I usually take about 3

to 4 days after I get out of the hospital from having an attack. Find a new

Dr and avoid messing with the pancreas...that includes ERCP's...but that is

just my opinion. I will never have another one.....I have had severe attack

after attack after ERCP's and I won't put myself thru it again. I also come

to during the procedure and is pisses me off.

On a personal note...My wife is scheduled to have her scan for her

thyroid on the 9th...Keep us in your prayers.....The last 3 days have been

rough for me and my pancreas.I am doing all the tricks I know to keep myself

out of the hospital...I don't want her to have to worry about me.

I hope this finds you and yours well

Mark

I hope this finds you and yours well

Mark E. Armstrong

casca@...

www.top5plus5.com

PAI NW Rep

ICQ #59196115

[Guest guest]

What nerve is the Dr.trying to block? The branch of nerves that go

to the pancreas are in the front, actually in front of the aorta. It

is called the celiac plexus. There are different approaches to this

block. There is an anterior and posterior ( front and back). I am

aware of rhizotomies, but I don't know that they have anything to do

with pancreatitis. Is this Dr. an ansthesologist? There are pain

management Dr. that are pharamacotherapy ( medications) and do not

require proceedures as part of their care. I have found the Dr. that

want to do proceedures, charge big prices and usually don't help.

Atwell LPN