| Re: Burning the nerves in the lower back.......
A nerve ablation procedure can take 5-20 minutes, but there's additional time at the facility. At my Pain Management doctor's office if my appointment for a nerve ablation is at 9:00 and I have elected conscious sedation I arrive at 9:00 and am usually taken back to the procedure area around 9:10. No need for a gown as long as I've worn elastic waist shorts with no metal that will obstruct the floursoscopy view of the spine. The nurse starts an IV and I wait until the person ahead of me is done with his her procedure/injection/etc. I walk into the procedure room around 9:20 and get myself on to the table and am asked to lay on my stomach and then they position me depending on what level is being done and they pull my shirt up and my shorts down a bit to expose the area. Then they give me the slightly sedating medication (versed) and some pain med (demerol or fentanyl) via IV. Soon I feel a little tired and relaxed and the doctor begins the procedure. If doing just one level he first injects a bit of xylocaine (acts like novocaine) and then injects the Radio Frequency Ablation tool. Using flouroscopy he seeks out the targeted nerve and with a few pulses the nerve is ablated. They stop the IV and I am helped up and I walk out to a recliner chair. I must sit there 30 minutes before I can leave. So arriving at 9:00 AM means I can usually leave around 10:00 or 10:15 after all is done.
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Rt&Lt thumb arthroplasty 2012 ; RT TKR & Bilat CTS 2011
Fusions: L5-S1 (87), L4-S1 (93), C5-C7 ('06), L3-S1 ('10)
C5-C7 foraminotomy 08
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