Neurology diagnoses and treats disorders of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, as well as thought and memory.

We're Here to Help.
Get in Touch.

Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.

Doctors

Peripheral Nerve: Treatment and Rehabilitation

Treating peripheral nerve disorders requires a balance between removing the pathology and preserving function. The stakes are high; removing a tumor often involves sacrificing the nerve fascicles involved, leading to loss of function. Advanced reconstructive techniques and neuromodulation devices like the peripheral nerve stimulator play a massive role in restoring quality of life.

  • Microsurgical tumor resection
  • Nerve grafting and transfer
  • Radiation and chemotherapy protocols
  • Neuromodulation for pain control
  • Sensory and motor re education
Icon LIV Hospital

Surgical Management of MPNST

NEUROLOGY

The primary treatment for a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor is surgical resection with wide negative margins. This means removing the tumor and a layer of healthy tissue around it to ensure no cancer cells are left behind. Because these tumors grow inside nerves, this often necessitates the removal of the nerve itself.

  • Goal of R0 resection (clean margins)
  • Sacrifice of involved nerve segments
  • Coordination with plastic surgery for closure
  • Potential for amputation in limb tumors
  • Intraoperative nerve monitoring
Icon 1 LIV Hospital

Nerve Reconstruction Techniques

NEUROLOGY

When a nerve must be cut to remove a tumor or is severed by trauma, surgeons use nerve grafts to bridge the gap. The sural nerve from the leg is commonly used as a donor. Alternatively, nerve transfers can be performed, where a redundant healthy nerve is rewired to power the paralyzed muscles.

  • Autologous nerve grafting (sural nerve)
  • Distal nerve transfers (rewiring)
  • Use of nerve conduits or allografts
  • Time sensitive nature of reinnervation
  • Protection of the repair site

Neuromodulation for Chronic Pain

For patients left with intractable neuropathic pain after surgery or trauma, a peripheral nerve stimulator can be a game changer. This device involves placing a small electrode next to the damaged nerve. It delivers weak electrical pulses that “distract” the brain, replacing the feeling of pain with a mild tingling sensation or simply blocking the pain signal.

  • Percutaneous lead placement
  • Trial period before permanent implant
  • Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG)
  • Patient controlled stimulation settings
  • Reduction in opioid dependency
NEUROLOGY

Systemic Therapy for Metastatic Disease

If the cancer spreads, as is common with metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma, systemic therapy is required. Standard chemotherapy regimens for sarcomas (like Doxorubicin and Ifosfamide) are used. Unfortunately, these tumors can be resistant to treatment, prompting the search for clinical trials and targeted molecular therapies.

  • Anthracycline based chemotherapy
  • Radiation therapy for local control
  • Participation in clinical trials
  • Targeted therapy (MEK inhibitors)
  • Palliative care integration

Rehabilitation and Desensitization

Post operative rehabilitation is critical. If a nerve transfer was performed, the patient must learn to use the “new” nerve to move the “old” muscle. This involves cortical remapping exercises. For pain, desensitization therapy involves exposing the sensitive area to different textures to retrain the brain’s pain response.

  • Cortical reorganization exercises
  • Graded motor imagery
  • Mirror therapy for phantom pain
  • Splinting to prevent contractures
  • Texture desensitization protocols

30 Years of
Excellence

Trusted Worldwide

With patients from across the globe, we bring over three decades of medical

Book a Free Certified Online
Doctor Consultation

Clinics/branches

Was this article helpful?

Was this article helpful?

We're Here to Help.
Get in Touch.

Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.

Doctors

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a peripheral nerve stimulator?
It is an implanted medical device that sends electrical signals to a specific nerve to mask pain signals before they reach the brain, used for chronic nerve pain.
Chemotherapy has limited effectiveness for these tumors compared to other cancers, but it is often used for metastatic disease or to shrink large tumors before surgery.

A nerve transfer is a surgery where a working, less important nerve is cut and connected to a more important damaged nerve to restore function, like “plugging it into a new outlet.”

Nerves grow very slowly, about one inch per month. Recovery of muscle function can take many months or even over a year depending on the distance the nerve must grow.

It is very difficult to cure once it has spread (metastasized), but treatment focuses on prolonging life, controlling symptoms, and slowing the growth of the cancer.

Spine Hospital of Louisiana

Let's Talk About Your Health

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...

Leave your phone number and our medical team will call you back to discuss your healthcare needs and answer all your questions.

Let's Talk About Your Health

Let's Talk About Your Health

Leave your phone number and our medical team will call you back to discuss your healthcare needs and answer all your questions.

Let's Talk About Your Health

How helpful was it?

helpful
helpful
helpful
Your Comparison List (you must select at least 2 packages)