Chennai: Apollo Cancer Centre (ACC), Chennai, achieved a breakthrough in pain management by performing dorsal root ganglion stimulation surgery. The procedure, using a spinal cord stimulator, brought life-changing relief to a 30-year-old patient from Oman suffering from chronic groin and thigh pain for two years.
After a thorough evaluation and multidisciplinary team efforts, the patient was found to have pain originating from a damaged nerve in the inguinal region (area where the lower abdominal wall meets the upper thigh).
The genitofemoral nerve — a primarily sensory nerve — supplies the upper thigh and emerges from the spine, passing through muscles to reach the inguinal region.
During surgery in this area, the nerve was damaged, causing severe pain to the patient. It is known as genitofemoral neuralgia