Cancer pain relieved by long-term epidural morphine with permanent indwelling systems for self-administration

Abstract

Clinical trials for abatement of intractable pelvic cancer pain were conducted in two patients, each electing surgical implantation of one of two indwelling catheter systems for administration of morphine into the spinal epidural space. Both systems, one consisting of a partially indwelling Broviac catheter, and the other, completely indwelling, consisting of a morphine reservoir connected to a shunt pump and on-off Hakim valve assembly, permitted the patients to return home where they could self-administer epidural morphine. Each patient reported that 2 mg of epidural morphine provided 8 to 12 hours of pain relief at a level of superior to their previous narcotic medication. On a regimen of 2 mg of epidural morphine administered twice daily, both patients experienced analgesia for 6 months, unaccompanied by alterations in sensory, motor, or cognitive functioning, and with a little drug tolerance reaction.