Radiofrequency Ablation

Have you considered getting a radiofrequency ablation procedure done for your chronic pain you have been feeling? Well, Florida Surgery Consultants has the specialists who can perform this procedure and have you feeling better than ever in no time at all.

Our Radiofrequency Ablation Procedure

Radiofrequency AblationRadiofrequency ablation is a procedure done to relief chronic pain in a patient’s back, neck or joints. It is non-surgical and minimally invasive. It takes between 15-45 minutes depending on the patient and has very little recovery time.

First, during your radiofrequency ablation procedure you will be asked to sign all forms of consent and have time to speak with your doctor about any questions or concerns you may have about your procedure.

Then, your doctor will prepare you for the procedure. A local anesthetic will be used to numb the area, however, you may feel some discomfort because you will remain awake and aware during the procedure.

Next, the needle is inserted into the nerve for ablation with the aid of a fluoroscope as a the doctor directs a thin hollow needle into the area of pain.

Radiofrequency Ablation SurgeryLastly, once the needle is in place, you will get a numbing medication. A heating current is passed through to create a small burn about the size of a cotton swab tip. The current destroys the portion of the nerve that transmits pain and disrupts the pain- producing signals.

Success Rate of Radiofrequency Ablation Procedure

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a procedure used primarily in pain management to treat chronic pain conditions. By utilizing electrical currents produced by radio waves to heat up specific nerve tissues, the goal of RFA is to decrease pain signals from that particular area. While the technique can be applied in different parts of the body, it’s frequently used for spinal pain, especially that arising from the facet joints.

Success Rate of Radiofrequency Ablation:

  1. General Success Rates:

    • The success rate of RFA varies based on the condition being treated and the population studied. For lumbar and cervical facet joint pain, success rates in the literature range from 50% to 90% for significant pain relief.
    • “Success” is typically defined as a significant reduction in pain (often 50% or more) that leads to improved function and decreased reliance on pain medications.
  2. Duration of Relief:

    • Pain relief after RFA can last from 6 months to 2 years. In some cases, the pain may never return. For others, if the nerve regenerates, the pain might come back, and the procedure can be repeated.
  3. Variability in Outcomes:

    • The effectiveness of RFA can vary based on the skill of the practitioner, the accuracy of the prior diagnostic blocks (like medial branch blocks for facet joint pain), the anatomical area being treated, and the specific cause of the pain.
  4. Considerations:

    • It’s crucial to undergo appropriate diagnostic procedures, like medial branch blocks, before RFA to ensure that the targeted nerve is indeed the pain generator. Proper patient selection can enhance the success rates of RFA.
    • Some patients may require a series of treatments or combination therapies to achieve optimal outcomes.
  5. Safety and Side Effects:

    • RFA is generally considered safe, especially when performed by experienced practitioners using fluoroscopic guidance. Possible side effects include temporary pain at the site of the procedure, numbness, infection, bleeding, or nerve damage. However, severe complications are rare.
  6. Comparisons with Other Treatments:

    • Compared to other treatments like long-term medication use or more invasive surgeries, RFA offers the benefit of targeting the specific nerve causing pain with fewer systemic side effects.

Recovery Time

After having a radio-frequency ablation procedure done, most patients will have to be monitored for only a short period of time. They will be able to go home the same day as long as they have a ride from a family member or friend. The procedure itself is short and the recovery time is only 24 to 72 hours.

Can relieve pain up to 6 months and avoids surgery.

There is about a 70-80% patient success rate with a RFA procedure.

A Medial Branch Block is a procedure we perform before a Radio Frequency Ablation. 

The procedure is very short, it normally only takes 15 minutes

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Glossary

Pain lasting for more than 6 months

Collapsed Disc Problems

What Types of Non-Surgical Procedures Do Our Spine Specialists Perform?

What Surgical Procedures do our Board Certified Spine Surgeons Perform?

Removes a herniated disc in the neck to relieve neck pain

Titanium implant to keep spine stabilized after a decompression surgery (removal of a disc herniation)

Device that gets implanted to replicate the function of a normal disc which replaces a damaged disc.

Removal of the lamina to relieve compression on the spinal cord.

Inject bone cement into the vertebrae to fix a compression fracture.

Surgeon goes in through the waist to relieve nerves that are pinched by removing damaged disc material.

Stabilizes the spinal vertebrae by going in through the back of the patient by creating a fusion with two or more vertebrae.

Removal of a herniated disc or parts of the disc to relieve spinal cord pressure

Removes damaged disc material and fuses the vertebrae together

Removal of a disc herniation using a needle

Reduces a disc herniation with laser technology

Fuses Sacrum and Ilium to create one immobile joint which helps with back pain

Our Neurosurgical Spine Surgery Team

Currently on staff, we have three Neurosurgeons that specialize in spine surgery. Our Spine Surgeons see patients in all five of our office locations in Florida. To find out more on why patients should choose a neurosurgeon for spine surgery rather than an orthopedic spine surgeon click here. If you want to see their credentials click their profiles. 

Neurosurgeons close to me

Dr. Jonathan Hall, MD

Board Certified Neurosurgeon - Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Florida Surgery Consultants New Neurosurgeon Dr. Donna Saatman

Dr. Donna Saatman, MD

Board Certified Neurosurgeon - Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

What type of conditions do our Board Certified Spine Surgeons Treat?

A tear in the ligament that connects your vertebrae to your disc

Loss of disc cushioning due to the aging process

The jelly like substance in between your vertebrae pushes through the annulus and touches the spinal cord.

A tear in the ligament that connects your vertebrae to your disc

Loss of disc cushioning due to the aging process

The jelly like substance in between your vertebrae pushes through the annulus and touches the spinal cord.

The narrowing of the spinal canal, can pinch your spinal cord and the nerves around it

Inflammation of the facet joints in the spine

 Degeneration or Inflammation of the Facet Joints

A disc that has lost most of its height which can cause disc pain

often called osteophytes, they are bony growths that can form where the bones meet one another.

Normal wear and tear due to the aging process, can also be called Degenerative Disc Disease