Fluoroscopic Anterior Approach Versus Ultrasound Guided Superior Hypogastric Plexus Neurolysis in Cancer Pelvic Pain

An ultrasound system with a 5-2 MHz curved transducer will be used. The division of the abdominal aorta into the common iliac arteries was located using oblique sonography. Then, the transducer will image the body of the fifth lumbar vertebra, at which level bilateral common iliac vessels will be seen leaving a space in the midline. a 20 cm long, 22 gauge Chiba needle will be introduced into the hypogastrium, with out-of-plane technique to access the fifth lumbar vertebral body at its anterior-most point, so that injected drug spreads equally bilaterally along the anterior curvature of the fifth lumbar vertebral body.Suction was applied to the needle to confirm that it was not within a vessel and 10 ml of 50% ethanol will be injected for neurolysis.

The patient will be placed in the supine position. The L5-S1 inter-discal space was identified under fluoroscopy.After providing local cutaneous and subcutaneous anesthesia with 2% Lignocaine solution nearly 3-4 cm below the umbilicus, a 20 cm long, 22 gauges Chiba needle is advanced to the anterior portion of the 5th vertebral body under ongoing fluoroscopic guidance. Once bony resistance is reached, gently inject 2-5 ml contrast which typical reveals a characteristic triangular blob of contrast with no vascular opacification.Before injection the needle is aspirated to confirm there is no blood. A preliminary test dose of about 3 cc of 0.5% bupivacaine is then injected. If there is no change in heart rate or neurological status, rest of the 20 cc phenol 10% is injected slowly with intermittent aspiration.