Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation in Postherpetic Neuropathy

This is a prospective, multicenter observational study evaluating the efficacy of ganglion stimulation (medical device) in cases of post-herpetic neuropathy. This study introduces recent methods of phenotypic stratification of postherpetic neuropathy into the field of interventional pain therapy. The aim is to identify which clinical expression of this diverse pathology can derive the greatest benefits from an otherwise effective but expensive therapy such as ganglion stimulation. The study protocol includes the application of a common clinical practice, already in use for several years at the promoting center and participating centers (as well as internationally scientifically codified). It is supported by an innovative stratification of clinical expression (phenotype of the disease), recently introduced in the literature. The study aims to identify, through careful clinical evaluation, predictive indices of the greatest success in invasive ganglion stimulation therapy, a treatment associated with significant system costs and considerable inconvenience for the patient. The results of the experimentation will allow the codification of evaluative clinical pathways to predict a higher success index in certain clinical expressions of postherpetic neuropathy compared to others. This will help reduce the costs of implant trials and enable defining the real objective of the proposed therapy in consultation with the patient.