Ten-kHz Spinal Cord Stimulation vs Radiofrequency Ablation of Splanchnic Nerves: A Single-Site Retrospective Comparison of 12-Month Outcomes.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: A prospective study on 10-kHz spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for various causes of chronic abdominal pain (CAP) showed robust improvements in subjects' pain and function. Radiofrequency ablation of splanchnic nerves (snRFA) has been used in advanced pain management treatment algorithms for CAP. This analysis was designed to provide what we believe is the first comparison of the efficacy of these two therapies. Propensity-score matched analysis (PMA) was performed to compare pain relief and decrease in medication usage in snRFA and SCS for treating refractory CAP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records were extracted for consecutive patients with CAP treated from June 2015 to June 2021 who underwent either snRFA or SCS at the Carolinas Pain Institute after positive diagnostic splanchnic block. The patients' diagnoses included gastroparesis, chronic pancreatitis, postsurgical CAP, and other dysmotility syndromes. PMA was performed to produce matched pairs in terms of baseline clinical status, reported pain, and opioid use over 12 months, after treatment was compared in the groups. RESULTS: PMA produced two well-balanced groups (n = 31) for SCS and snRFA. Analysis showed significant improvement in pain scores in both groups through 12 months, but the mean reduction in reported numerical rating scale points was significantly greater for the SCS group, averaging 4.7 vs 3.0 points for the snRFA group (p < 0.01). Responder rates (≥50% pain relief) similarly diverged at 12 months, with 67.7% vs 30.0% responders in the SCS and snRFA groups, respectively (p = 0.017). Opioid usage did not change in the snRFA group but was reduced in the SCS group at 12 months (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: SCS provided longer pain relief than did snRFA in this propensity-matched study. Pain scores and opioid usage were significantly less at 12-month follow-up when SCS was used for control of CAP.