There is no science yet behind how long you wait between cycles; I wait 30 seconds, because (under US) that is when the ice ball starts to get smaller, and, when I demonstrate the ice ball in water, that is when it starts to get smaller. You actually do want the largest probe possible. I routinely use the 12 and 14g probes in my office without sedation. Slow, gentle advancement of the introducer is key, with tiny doses of local as needed until you are close to the nerve. If you use a standard introducer, there will be about 30 seconds of burning when you first start to freeze the nerve, though that does not happen if you use the new side port introducer that Epimed designed for me. Remember that we use a 13g introducer for PNS in the office without difficulty and without sedation.
Andrea Trescot MD