The mechanism of phantom pain is complex and multi-tiered. This investigative team has experience specifically with clinical and structured investigative attenuation of nerve related symptoms through cryoablation in the setting of complex and multi-tiered etiological theory, including phantom pain in amputees. Central, peripheral, and psychogenic mechanisms have been implicated in the setting of PLP in amputees, and it is likely that each of these is contributory to a variable degree as part of a kinetic multidirectional underpinning, but – the critical point is that whether the clear hypersensitivity of the nerve stump induces afferent cortical reorganization, or there is downstream sensitization of the nerve from above that results in pain, cryoablation induced signal transduction arrest improves symptoms. This trial is enrolling patients to study the effect of percutaneous CT guided cryoablation on phantom limb pain.
J. David Prologo, MD, FSIR, ABOM-D. Co-Investigators – Emory Interventional Radiology