Thermal ablation is a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure for treating pain, also known as radiofrequency ablation.
It involves the ablation of sensory nerve fibers through heat treatment. This interrupts the transmission of pain signals. The patient benefits from rapid pain relief.
A thermal or radiofrequency ablation is also suitable for treating spondylogenic pain (spondylosis). This refers to symptoms that originate not from the nerve roots but from the small joints of the spine (facet joints).
For patients suffering from severe chronic back pain, thermal ablation can provide significant relief @ BigBlueStudio /AdobeStock
The pain is usually caused by dysfunction or wear and tear. A thermal ablation is performed when other treatment methods, such as medication or massage, have proven ineffective.
Radiofrequency ablation is a form of interventional pain therapy. Its goal is to interrupt or alter the transmission of pain signals within the pain pathways.
Reducing the transmission of pain signals allows the body to heal itself.
The treatment consists of:
Between 60 and 80 percent of all patients experienced an improvement in their symptoms following treatment.
For thermal ablation, doctors use high-frequency current, which has long been employed in high-frequency surgery. High-frequency current causes shifts in electrolytes.
The movement of ions causes the electrodes—which the doctor has previously placed near the tissue—to heat up. This results in the coagulation of cellular proteins. The increase in current and the resulting vapor pressure cause the cell walls to burst.
During radiofrequency ablation, the physician inserts a special cannula toward the nerve under X-ray guidance.
After inserting a thermal probe into the cannula, the correct position of its tip is determined using electrical stimulation. High-frequency alternating current (485 kHz) is then applied.
Watch the radiofrequency ablation procedure in the video:
An intense electromagnetic field forms near the tip of the probe, causing the molecules to vibrate. This heats the tissue within a radius of several millimeters.
As the sensitive nerve fibers in the tissue coagulate, this results in their selective destruction. This, in turn, prevents the transmission of pain.
The ablation temperatures range from 60 to 80 degrees Celsius. The outpatient procedure takes approximately 15 to 30 minutes.
Thermal ablation can be used for the following indications:
Every physician listed in the Leading Medicine Guide has attained the highest level of training and certification within their respective medical specialty society. Furthermore, we contacted this physician based, among other factors, on their case volume (surgeries, treatments, and therapies), which we determined by cross-referencing various publicly available sources. Following discussions with the selected physicians and the directors of the medical facilities, as well as a subsequent internal review, they were admitted to the Leading Medicine Guide.
The quality assurance of the Leading Medicine Guide is further ensured by 8 admission criteria. Each member must meet at least 6 of them:
