a. What is a nerve block?

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Nerve Blocks

What is a nerve block?

• Drugs used to destroy nerves are called neurolytic agents, which are typically phenol and 50% diluted alcohol solution.
• Neurolytic blocks are blocks that are based on the destruction of nerves.
• Nerves branching out from the brain and spinal cord divide into left and right and then give lower branches that spread throughout the body. These nerves carry signals of malfunction from the affected areas to the brain and spinal cord, usually in the form of pain.

How is a nerve block administered?

• The nerve considered for destruction is first temporarily deactivated by a local anesthetic. This is done to see whether the method will be effective and to allow the patient to experience this sensation. If the patient's pain disappears and they can live without the sensation of pain in that area, then the method is applied.
•  Not all nerves are suitable for destruction. The key is to damage the nerve without causing loss of strength or paralysis. Hence, some nerves can be destructed.
• It must always be administered by an experienced physician.

In which situations are nerve blocks applied?

Situations where nerve blocks can be applied include:

• Neurolytic blocks for cancers related to the head region
• Neurolytic blocks for stomach, liver, pancreatic cancers
• Neurolytic blocks for cancers of the lower abdomen, uterus, kidneys, and prostate
• Neurolytic blocks for cancers of the anus and surrounding area
• Neurolytic blocks for rib metastases
• Neurolytic blocks related to blood vessels

How is the destruction of the nerve carried out?

• Nerve destruction is carried out under imaging in an operating room environment.
• The patient is taken to the operating room. An intravenous line is established. Sedatives are administered through the IV.
• The target nerve is identified under imaging. Electrodes resembling needles are used to reach the nerve. The nerve is stimulated. The purpose of this is to ensure that motor nerves are not damaged.
• Then, varying amounts of neurolytic agent are administered around the nerve and its vicinity.

What are the side effects?

• Extreme care must be taken when administering the destructive agent to prevent it from spreading to other nerves.
• The pain in the area where the nerve is distributed diminishes or disappears, but numbness can develop depending on which nerve is destroyed.
• Although rare, a constant burning pain may develop after nerve destruction.