Rhizotomy
It can be very frustrating to have tried almost anything to ease the back pain and still experience a significant amount of discomfort. If this is your case, South Florida Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine can help you.
We have surgeons specializing in a procedure called rhizotomy. It’s a minimally invasive procedure that can put an end to your debilitating back pain.
How Does Rhizotomy Work?
Rhizotomy is a procedure that can benefit patients with lower back pain caused by facet joints.
Facet joints are the cartilage-lined joints that protect your spine. These joints are what allow your spine to bend forward and backward.
When these joints are damaged, whether by injury or natural degeneration, they can cause shooting pain in the lower back. In some cases, the pain can be described as a constant burning sensation.
With facet rhizotomy, we can put an end to that pain.
What Can You Expect in a Rhizotomy?
As with any other procedure, facet rhizotomy begins with a consultation with your doctor. Your doctor will review your medical history, including the medications you’re currently taking. If you are taking any blood-thinning medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin, your doctor may ask you to temporarily stop taking these medications days before the procedure.
Facet rhizotomy is done with the use of local anesthesia. Once the anesthesia has taken effect, your doctor will create a small incision where he will insert an endoscope. This small, highly specialized camera allows your doctor to see your medial branch nerves. These are the small nerves that carry out pain signals from your facet joints to the brain.
A tiny laser or radiofrequency probe is then threaded through the endoscope to zap the nerve that causes the pain. There can be minimal discomfort during this part of the process.
You will be placed in a recovery room where you will be monitored. Once cleared, you can go home on the same day.
Although we only use local anesthesia for this, we still recommend having someone drive you home.
To determine the efficacy of the procedure, you will have to do a follow-up check with us about 7 to 10 days after the procedure. We will be assessing how much of the pain has improved and what other symptoms you still have.
Curious if you can benefit from facet rhizotomy? Call us at (772) 288-2400. Our specialists can look into your condition and determine if you are a good candidate for Rhizotomy.