Cordotomy

Cordotomy is a surgical procedure that interrupts the pain-conducting tracts of the spinal cord to relieve severe, otherwise intractable pain, most often in patients with advanced cancer. It was first performed in 1912 by American neurosurgeons William Gibson Spiller and Edward Martin, and it became more practical for wider use after a percutaneous version of the technique was developed in 1965. Cordotomy is effective for pain control but carries significant side effects, including abnormal sensations in the affected area and, when performed on both sides, a risk of sleep apnea.