A pilot study indicates that cryoablation therapy, a minimally invasive targeted treatment using cold blasts, could help patients who have phantom limb pain. The study was published in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
During cryoablation, a probe is precisely placed through the skin of the patient’s residual limb, and the temperature is dropped to shut down nerve signals. “This promising treatment can target hard-to-find nerves and help amputees dramatically improve their lives—all in an outpatient setting,” said J. David Prologo, MD, assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine.
This article was adapted from information provided by the Society of Interventional Radiology.
