Coeliac plexus blocks have had a reasonable success rate (approximately 70 per cent) in the relief of the pain of carcinoma of the pancreas or upper abdominal malignancy and were helpful for pancreatitis and in some cases of inoperable arterial insufficiency.
Diagnostic coeliac plexus blocks sometimes provided useful information about some types of pain. There were no dangerous complications in this series so that this seems a reasonable form of therapy for patients for whom there is often little else to offer.
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