What is rfa

You may experience numbness for a few hours after the procedure, which is due to the anesthesia injected on the site. If you feel any discomfort after the procedure, taking pain medications or applying an ice pack on the area would ease the discomfort. Allergies or reactions may also happen to some patients, but such instances are rare. Consult a doctor if you experience any redness, swelling, or infection. Leave a Review 4. Hit enter to search or ESC to close.

Now, doctors can use RFA to treat them in some cases. People living with thyroid nodules and experiencing symptoms can discuss the option with their head and neck surgeon. Some people are not good candidates for open thyroid nodule surgery due to other medical conditions. If you and your doctor decide that RFA is appropriate for addressing your thyroid nodule, you will undergo one or more fine-needle aspiration biopsy procedures to make sure the nodule is benign.

After that test, your doctor will let you know if you are eligible for RFA. It is important to understand that because the procedure does not remove the nodule completely, you will need to have more ultrasounds of your thyroid in the future. For most patients, RFA is appropriate only for benign noncancerous nodules.

In some settings and with close follow-up, RFA may be appropriate for treating small cancers. Following RFA, most patients feel normal within 24 hours. UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider.

We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider. Intrathecal drug delivery, also known as the "pain pump," uses a small pump to deliver pain medication directly to your spinal cord. Find more information here.

Injury to the joints can cause pain in the legs, lower back, groin, buttocks, knees, shoulders and hips. Pain may occur from injury, simple wear and tear, etc. Your doctor may suggest a nerve block if other treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medicines, rest and physiotherapy were unsuccessful.

Learn more here. Spinal cord stimulation delivers mild electrical impulses to the spinal cord that interrupt pain signals to the brain, replacing them with a tingling sensation. Treatments A-Z. Preparation Please arrange to have someone drive you home after the procedure, as you will not be able to drive or operate machinery for at least 24 hours after the procedure. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before the procedure, except for a small amount of water if needed to take medications on the day of the procedure.

If you have diabetes and use insulin, you must adjust the dosage of insulin the day of the procedure. RFA is considered for treating facet joint pain in the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine; or for sacroiliac joint pain in the posterior pelvis.

Typically, RFA is performed after medical branch blocks or facet joint injections have resulted in a definitive but temporary relief in pain. For the first few weeks or days, a sunburn type burning and or numbness may be felt over the injection site, typically for RFA performed in the neck.

Resting, using an ice-pack, and using topical or oral medications may help relieve the discomfort. Facet Joint Injections Procedure Video. You are here Treatment Injections. By Marco Funiciello, DO. Peer Reviewed.