Rhizotomy stories... good, bad, indifferent?

[ans]

(I mean *Facet Rhiztomy*)..

Dr. Leticia Lau at Cedars told me that she knows a method of giving an S-I rhizotomy that doesn't incorporate 7 needles and has a strong success rate. I believe her: she diagnosed my facet problems and despite knowing that I have a blown S-I disc, she speculated that if I have facet issues, a rhizotomy could get rid of all my pain. The Cedars Pain Group may all be so great technically but they are fervently anti any "narcotics", including Vicodin it seems due to fears of "opiate hyperalgesia".

Well, I did have facet injections from L2-S-1 and wish I was fried six times or so! I had a few days of (pardon the shout) of ZERO back pain. It was like how I used to be before 8 years. I was utterly mindblown and reflected on the deadening psychological state I lived in combating pain with meds, etc.

My response now is not full but I am able to 1/2 my morphine dose and will do everything to taper more.

I do not know how many facet injections they can give/year. If anyone knows, please lemme know. I want him to go in there and fry those nerves.

I have one article I think from Medscape that says ~ 50-60% of back pain is from the facets. Why this happens mechanically, I do not know why. I will try to hunt the article again.

Cheers...

[steve55]

You and me both Mark. I thought I was in the clear after 4 months of completely pain free living. But Im back to enjoying nerve pain again over the past 2 months, seems to now be at T1 -T3 (they are all tender) and so bad that its causing me nausea. Its getting worse as time goes on. Back to pain pills again. Just great. Well, at least I had 4 months of pain free living. Just goes to show that whether its fusion or ADR, we just cant win now can we? Sorry to hear about your problems again. Thanks for the update as I have been wondering how things were going for you.

[ans]

Do you or anyone know how many rhizotomies/year can be performed for the same lumbar (or thoracic level) per year?

It makes sense that they must go from a different angle to avoid the scar tissue from the "darning needle" used to go do deep into the spine. Amazing technology.

We know the best spinal surgeons in our cities but interventionists who conduct rhizotomies? Here, I'm in the dark. I suspect that Cedars' Pain Center is hot but their idea of pain mgt. in terms of meds is Baclofen and NSAIDS.

How can we find interventionists who will burn each nerve six times vs. one? ("Sure kid, I'll get ya six times" and only do one - my luck). These procedure areas are kinda like factories imo.