Professional
Technical
IVT
facet rhizotomy
Minimally invasive procedure using radiofrequency energy to ablate sensory nerves supplying facet joints for pain relief.
Full Definition
A percutaneous procedure that uses radiofrequency energy to create thermal lesions of the medial branch nerves that innervate the facet joints. This technique provides pain relief for patients with confirmed facet-mediated axial pain by interrupting pain transmission from the affected joints. The procedure is typically performed after diagnostic medial branch blocks confirm the pain source. Facet rhizotomy can provide sustained pain relief lasting 6-24 months.
Usage
Usage note: Often abbreviated as RFA in clinical documentation.
In Context
- "The patient underwent bilateral L4-L5 facet rhizotomy after positive diagnostic blocks." — procedure note
- "Facet rhizotomy demonstrated significant improvement in visual analog scale scores at six-month follow-up." — outcomes study
Also known as
radiofrequency ablation
medial branch neurotomy
Don't confuse with
facetectomy
facet injection