Workshop on advanced pain therapies organised

New Delhi, Dec 16 (UNI) To provide relief to thousands of patients suffering from chronic pain, including cancer chest pain and vascular pain, a two-day workshop on ''Advanced pain therapies'' started here today.

The workshop organised by the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals would focus on the advanced pain modalities now available in India.

Cardiologist and cardiac surgeon Naresh Trehan innaugurated the workshop, which is being organised by pain experts, Dr Ram Pasu Puleti, Dr KJ Chaudhry and Dr Yatin Mehta.

Dr Mehta said ''refractory angina'' is a condition describing chest tightness that gives breathlessness or choking feeling. It is characterised by severe unremitting angina despite optimal drug therapy that is contraindicated for invasive interventions such as coronary angioplasty and bypass surgery.

The condition not only occurs in patients with stable angina but also occurs in unstable angina that may be refractory to conventional therapies. These patients have benifitted from neurostimulation, which should be considered a valuable option, he added.

Dr Chaudhry said large number of tobacco and caffeine addicts or patients who are diabetic get permanent narrow blood vessels are at risk of ''peripheral vascular disease'', which reduces blood supply to the affected part. ''In these case Advanced therapies like radio frequency neuroablation of regional sympathetic nerves and spinal cord stimulation provide pain relief by improving blood supply and through neuromodulation of pain massage,'' he informed.

A special session will be held on Monday to discuss new pain management modalities in cancer like intrathecal drug delivery systems in patients who require large doses of pain relievers to control the severe pain.

UNI