Facet Thermal Ablation (Rhizolysis)
Facet Thermal Ablation (Rhizolysis) is the use of heat to deaden sensory nerves that are irritating the facet joints, causing pain. Facet joints are the joints in your spine that make your back flexible, and enable you to bend and twist. Nerves exit the spinal cord through these joints. Healthy facet joints have cartilage that allows your vertebrae to move smoothly against each other without grinding. Facet disease occurs when the cartilage in the joints deteriorates, as a result of wear and tear, aging, injury or misuse. This may cause the joints to become misaligned, causing pain. Also, when facet joints become inflamed, stiffness and/or pain can occur.
Facet Thermal Ablation (Rhizolysis), may be performed by our surgeons as part of the Bonati Spine Procedures, however the spine surgeons at the Bonati Spine Institute are able to relieve the pain by decompressing the affected nerves and therefore rarely performing an ablation.
The Facet Thermal Ablation (Rhizolysis) is performed during a Bonati Spine Procedures utilizing local anesthesia and conscious IV sedation, allowing the patient to be comfortable, responsive, and able to provide feedback to the doctors throughout the procedure. This allows our surgeons to target the source of pain with pinpoint accuracy.
While in the operating room, the surgical team will confirm the patient is able to complete a series of mobility exercises and verify that the pain has been successfully treated. After the procedure, the patient is transferred to the post-operative care unit for rest and observation, and then a post-operative consultation with the surgeon will help determine if additional procedures included in the surgical plan are necessary. Follow-up surgeries are usually scheduled within a few days of the first surgery, to allow any swelling to subside. During this time, the patient will be given a regimen of walking therapy.
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We encourage you to contact us to request a no-obligation MRI review or discussion with one of our medical professionals. Find out why The Bonati Spine Procedures are considered to be among the world’s best solutions for spine problems.