title: Relief of the pain of unresectable carcinoma of pancreas by chemical splanchnicectomy during laparotomy.
abstract: Peroperative chemical splanchnicectomy using 5% phenol in almond oil is an effective method of relieving pain in carcinoma of the pancreas. Forty-nine patients have been treated, 41 having suffered preoperative pain. Five patients died within 10 days of operation, but in no case was the splanchnicectomy a contributing factor. Of the 37 patients who had suffered pain preoperatively and then survived 10 days or more after operation, 30 (81%) experienced relief of pain and in 26 (70%) this relief persisted till death. There was no statistically significant difference in survival patterns of these splanchnicectomy patients and a comparable group of patients with pancreatic carcinoma treated in a similar way but without splanchnicectomy.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D059408:Pain Management; D010166:Palliative Care; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019800:Phenol; D010636:Phenols; D013153:Splanchnic Nerves; D013563:Sympathectomy, Chemical; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols; D019800:Phenol