General Information About the Procedures Performed

I strive to deliver to my  patients a wide range of efficacious procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of pain.  In doing so, there are certain precautions that must be taken.

The balance of the radiofrequency and injection procedures I perform are done in an outpatient radiological facility, utilizing local anesthetics and intravenous medication for sedation—sleep — as needed, and a CT scanner for guiding the placement of needles and electrodes. For certain procedures, a short acting intravenous narcotic—an anesthetic to relieve pain—is given along with the sedating medication.

These procedures are performed using sterile technique and no antibiotics before the procedure are needed in patients with heart valve problems.

Of particular note:

• Aspirin like drugs (such as Aleve), and blood thinners like Plavix, must be stopped well before the procedures described in this section in order to avoid bleeding within or around the spine.
• Patients who take Coumadin, or any other anticoagulants, must be off these medications for ANY invasive procedures, until the anti-coagulant effect has disappeared.   Therefore, patients who require Coumadin, or similar drugs, are selected for invasive procedures on a case-by-case basis.
• Patients with any bleeding disorder or those with local or systemic infections cannot be treated with any interventions.
• Patients may usually return to work within one-to-two days following any of these procedures.
• Patients with cardiac pacemakers are usually not candidates for Radiofrequency Lesioning procedures, unless the pacemaker can be temporarily deactivated without ill effect.

The procedures may all be repeated if the therapeutic effect wanes.

Patients may usually return to work within one-to-two days following any of these procedures.