Thermolesion is a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure for the treatment of pain, also known as radiofrequency lesioning. It involves heat treatment to obliterate sensory nerve fibers. In this way, the transmission of pain information can be interrupted. The patient benefits from a rapid onset of pain relief.
A thermal or radiofrequency lesion is also suitable for treating spondylogenic pain (spondylosis). This refers to pain that is not caused by the nerve roots but by the small joints of the spine (facet joints). The pain is usually caused by malfunction or wear and tear. A thermolesion is performed when other treatment methods such as medication or massage have no effect.
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Radiofrequency lesions are part of interventional pain therapy, the aim of which is to interrupt or change the pain transmission within the pain pathways. Reducing the transmitted pain impulses gives the body the opportunity to heal itself. Targeted treatment of the nerves, electrical stimulation and the administration of local anesthetics into the spinal cord play a role here. Between 60 and 80 percent of all patients experienced an improvement in their symptoms after the treatment.
For thermolesion, doctors use high-frequency electricity, which has been used in high-frequency surgery for some time. The high-frequency current has the property of causing electrolyte shifts. The movement of the ions causes the tissue to heat up in the vicinity of electrodes or adhesive electrodes previously attached to the skin, which results in the coagulation of cell protein. The increase in current supply and the associated vapor pressure cause the cell walls to burst.
As part of the radiofrequency lesion , the doctor inserts a special cannula under X-ray control in the direction of the nerve to be treated. After inserting a thermal probe into the cannula, the correct position of its tip can be determined using electrical stimulation. This is followed by the application of high-frequency alternating current (485 kHz). See the radiofrequency lesion procedure in the video:
There is an intense electromagnetic field near the tip of the probe, which excites molecules. This heats up the tissue within a range of several millimeters. As the sensitive nerve fibers in the tissue coagulate, this results in their selective destruction, which in turn prevents the pain from being transmitted.
The lesion temperatures are between 60 and 80 degrees Celsius. The outpatient procedure takes about 15 to 30 minutes.
Thermolesion can be used for the following areas of application:
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