Coming to a Cleveland Clinic location?Hillcrest Cancer Center check-in changesCole Eye entrance closingVisitation, mask requirements and COVID-19 information, Notice of Intelligent Business Solutions data eventLearn more. The instruments will then be removed, and a small bandage will be applied over the entry points. Copyright 2021. Just like the name states, the procedure uses radio waves to produce an electrical current, which then ablates, or erodes, the nerve. . Many patients come to us after first seeing their primary care physician for low-back pain. Unlike other treatment methods, the Intracept procedure uses radiofrequency energy to interrupt nerves from carrying pain signals from damaged discs in the lower back to the brain. 2017;318(1):68-81. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.7918, (3) Cision PR Newswire. G. Sunny Sharma, M.D., Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Ankit Patel, M.D., Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, who practice interventional spine and musculoskeletal medicine, If youve been suffering from vertebrogenic pain, you may be a good candidate for the Intracept procedure. The Intracept Procedure is a minimally invasive, outpatient pain therapy designed to relieve chronic low back pain originating in the vertebrae. Art. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) may be right for you if have: You may not be a candidate for radiofrequency ablation if you: Your healthcare provider will review your medical and medication history and ask you questions about your pain. "This procedure has the potential to provide relief to a large group of patients for whom there is no well . See Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Brain, Appointment TheUniversityofTexasSouthwesternMedicalCenter, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, Texas 75390 Phone 214-648-3111, Intracept is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that uses radiofrequency ablation to target and deaden the nerves responsible for vertebrogenic low back pain. So should we be nuking those nerves and likely causing faster degeneration of the disc, or should we be using treatments that might help the disc, like platelets and stem cells? The RF ablation procedure consisted of thermal ablation of the BVN using a transpedicular delivery system (Intracept System, Relievant Medsystems, Sunnyvale, CA, USA). You may still feel soreness, pain or muscle spasms at the treatment site for a few days. Home Blog Radiofrequency Ablation for Back Pain Reviews: Is It a Good Idea? I can tell you that in my own patient population, I saw these joints get worse over time, but thats just my observation. Using a minimally-invasive, transpedicular approach, the procedure aims to relieve pain associated with chronic low back pain by denervating the nociceptive (pain-sensing) nerves within the vertebral body via radiofrequency ablation. When your back hurts, everything you do is impacted. The Intracept Procedure is a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure for patients with vertebrogenic pain. Once the probe is positioned at the precise location of the basivertebral nerve, radiofrequency energy (heat) is emitted from the probe to effectively disable . Eventually, since the patient cant feel the area and continues to place forces on the damaged area, the pace of arthritis of that joint quickens. Patients receive anesthesia and a local anesthetic to numb the skin. *DISCLAIMER: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx Procedures have a success and failure rate. The INTRACEPT study will enroll up to 150 patients at up to 20 leading medical centers across the U.S. Valley Pain Consultants is one of the few groups in the Phoenix metropolitan area to offer this treatment. Once the needle has reached the intended site, your doctor will do a test to confirm its in the proper position. Radiofrequency Ablation. injury, arthritis, etc. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34033737/), Visitation, mask requirements and COVID-19 information. Xie E, Garzon-Muvdi T, Bender M, Doshi T, Carson B, Lim M, Bettegowda C. Radiofrequency ablation, also known as radiofrequency neurotomy, is a procedure that uses radio waves to heat up damaged nerve tissue. With the Intracept procedure, the physician makes a 3mm to 5mm incision in the low back and a radiofrequency probe is then inserted to access the center of the vertebrae at the trunk of the basivertebral nerve. I took my mom, and everyone was absolutely so sweet and kind. Likewise, patients notice improvements in their vertebrogenic pain a couple of weeks post-treatment, with complete results noticeable about 3 months post-treatment. This is an outpatient procedure performed under anesthesia. The problem with radiofrequency for low-back discs is of course the same problem as the one I describe above destroying the nerves in the disc is no safer in the long run than destroying the nerves that take pain from the neck or back joints. The procedure is performed under at least moderate conscious sedation. Talk with your provider to see if RFA is right for you. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Sunnyvale, CA 94085. In the 3 years as a patient of Dr. Rao, it is my opinion that he is a phenomenal and extraordinary doctor. The Procedure targets a specific nerve within the vertebra called the basivertebral nerve, and has been shown to improve function and decrease pain - allowing many patients to return to a level of activity they enjoy. Have severe pain, redness or swelling at the needle insertion site. Heat generated by radio waves is used to target specific nerves and temporarily interfere with their ability to transmit pain signals. Talk with your doctor about what indicates, and contraindicates, certain patients for the Intracept Procedure as well as the risks and precautions for the procedure. How long does the procedure take? Nerves carry the messages between your body and brain that help you feel sensations, including pain. Advantages of radiofrequency ablation include: During the procedure, you may experience some pain or burning sensation at the site, similar to what you experienced before the procedure. There are also certain risks and precautions regarding the procedure which you should be aware of before proceeding. Many surgeries for back pain involve implants, such as screws or plates, but because Intracept uses radiofrequency ablation, no devices are left in the body. endstream endobj 192 0 obj <. In other words, the Intracept procedure does not treat all forms of back pain, only vertebrogenic pain. While the Intracept procedure provides effective, long-lasting results, there are some potential disadvantages to this treatment. Once ablated, the nerve will no longer transmit a pain signal. Yes, the requested health service or procedure is likely to be more beneficial than any standard treatment or treatments for the insured's condition or disease. This treatment is designed to specifically treat vertebrogenic pain. Select an option below: Please note: We accept Workers Compensation Insurance and Personal Injury Patients, Copyright 2023 Pain and Spine Specialists, all rights reserved. Effect of Radiofrequency Denervation on Pain Intensity Among Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: The Mint Randomized Clinical Trials [published correction appears in JAMA. Study design/setting: A prospective, parallel, open label RCT was conducted at 20 U.S. sites. Given that almost all of our chronic spine patients who were getting RFA have now been switched to platelet or stem-cell-based treatments, its a question Ill never be able to definitively answer. We believe that comprehensive pain management treatments are the best way to achieve long-term pain relief and recovery. This lesion blocks or interrupts pain signals being sent from the targeted nerve. The intake staff member at Pain and Spine Specialist made the scheduling a breeze. The surgeon will make a small incision in the patients back. This energy ablates your basivertebral nerve and its branches in your vertebral endplates, preventing them from sending pain signals. . During the Intracept Procedure, your MPC physician, under guided x-ray, will advance a specialized Intracept probe into the vertebral body through a small incision in the lower back. Most patients can go home on the same day of operation. Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information. Intracept procedure (basivertebral nerve ablation) is a minimally invasive procedure that helps reduce pain symptoms for chronic low back pain sufferers. RFA is helpful for many people who decide to have the procedure. So to fix that problem, we substituted another, more obtuse, word like ablation. Most patients arent quite sure what that means, and even if they do know what it means, it sounds oh so much more elegant than destroy.. Not to mention, providing patients with long-term pain relief for many years post-procedure. This is known as vertebrogenic low-back pain, and it was designated as an official diagnosis with an International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code in October 2021. Orthopaedics and Rehab, Next Article These joints give your spine flexibility and allow movement of your back, such as twisting and bending. What is radiofrequency ablation? Intracept is a minimally-invasive, outpatient procedure for patients with vertebrogenic pain. 0 Unfortunately, because vertebrogenic pain is caused by daily wear and tear on your vertebral endplates, little can be done to prevent ones risk of experiencing this condition. This procedure has technical similarities with vertebra augmentation as it uses a transpedicular approach, although an extrapedicular approach has been described, and with lumbar radiofrequency ablation, as it uses an ablative lesion to the BVN to interrupt nociceptive signaling from damaged vertebral endplates. You can also apply an ice pack to the injection site, off and on for 20 minutes a few times during the first day of your recovery at home. MKT 0327 Rev. Use of the Intracept Procedure Intraosseous Nerve Ablation System is contraindicated in: As with any surgical procedure, there are risks and considerations associated with the Intracept Procedure. Find a Location, Appointment Our mission is to provide you with comprehensive pain management treatment options to better manage your pain to improve your quality of life. It is a privilege that our team can offer this minimally invasive outpatient procedure that can provide lasting relief of chronic low back pain without a lengthy recovery or spinal hardware, said Dr. Sharma. Always friendly, courteous, and efficient service. During treatment, the surgeon makes a small incision and inserts an instrument into the affected vertebrae which are used to burn the nerves of the damaged discs. Texas Spine and Scoliosis is one . __________________________________________________, (1) Kanchiku T, Imajo Y, Suzuki H, Yoshida Y, Nishida N, Taguchi T. Percutaneous radiofrequency facet joint denervation with monitoring of compound muscle action potential of the multifidus muscle group for treating chronic low back pain: a preliminary report. Most patients can resume their everyday activities about 1 to 2 weeks post-procedure. This means the right location has been found for treatment. Dr. More in: The Intracept Intraosseous Nerve Ablation System is intended to be used in conjunction with radiofrequency (RF) generators for the ablation of basivertebral nerves of the L3 through S1 vertebrae for the relief of chronic low back pain of at least six months duration that has not responded to at least six months of conservative care, and is also endstream endobj startxref If youve been suffering from chronic vertebrogenic pain, and have tried several nonsurgical treatments without much success, the Intracept procedure can be a great treatment option. Back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor or miss days at work. The procedure takes approximately 30-60 minutes to perform. Other complications, including infection and bleeding at the needle insertion site, are uncommon. The orthopedic surgeon who participated in the study had glowing reviews of the technology, and a few patient successes were highlighted. UTSouthwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialtiesto more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 4 million outpatient visits a year. The average time of an Intracept procedure may last about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Radiofrequency ablation is a procedure done to relief chronic pain in a patient's back, neck or joints. Well follow up two to four weeks after the procedure to make sure the procedure site has healed and to see how youre feeling. RFA was a great technology for its time that helped patients in the short run and likely hurt them in the long run. In general, minimally invasive treatment methods lower the risk of infection and other complications, reduce the length of hospital stay, lessen the amount of pain experienced and shorten recovery time. This procedure has the potential to provide relief to a large group of patients for there. 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