Pain control in recurrent head and neck cancer. Retrolabyrinthine section of the fifth and ninth cranial nerves.

The present-day otolaryngologist who is amply trained in the area of head and neck cancer surgery has the additional otologic surgical skills that can be applied to the control of head and neck cancer pain, utilizing the retrolabyrinthine route to the preganglionic pain fibers. Patients who can benefit from this surgical procedure have pain in the distribution of the fifth, seventh, ninth, and tenth cranial nerves that requires administration of narcotics for control. The complications of meningitis, bleeding, facial paralysis, and hearing loss are possible and must be appropriately treated, if present.