The Evaluation Of Radiofrequency Facet Nerve Denervation In The Patients With Lumbar Facet Syndrome: Experience With 493 Patients
Caner Mimaroğlu1, Beste Mimaroğlu Altınay2, Cevdet Düger1, Ahmet Cemil İsbir1, Sinan Gürsoy1, Kenan Kaygusuz1, İclal Özdemir Kol1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey
2Medical Enformatics, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
OBJECTIVES: In our study it was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency therapy (RFT) in the patients with lumbar facet syndrome in our department of algology. METHODS: In this study, 493 lumbar facet syndrome patients that were treated using RFT in 2008-2013 were included. The patients that had no diagnosis of facet syndrome and operated after RFT were excluded from the study. All data were obtained from the pain evaluation cards in the patient files and recorded. Data of age, sex, visual analog scale (VAS) scores before and after the therapy and satisfaction scores after the therapy. RESULTS: Data of 493 patients were analyzed and found 187 (37.9%) were male, 306 (62.1 %) were female. Mean age of the patients was found to be 51.86±13.76. Mean VAS score before the therapy was 8.03±1.06, 1 month after the therapy it was significantly reduced to 4.18±1.64 and 6 months after the therapy it was found as 4.08±2.26. When the satisfaction data were analyzed it was found 436 (88.4%) patients were satisfied and 57 (11.6%) patients were unsatisfied. Data of movement scores were found higher after the therapy than the scores of pre therapy. Patients had no complications. CONCLUSION: RFT is becoming a common method in the management of lumbar facet syndrome in our region and we wanted to evaluate our results. In conclusion radiofrequency therapy in the patients with lumbar facet syndrome is an effective and safe treatment method, and should be used more commonly.
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