RFA - What's your experience?

I have had both RFA and chryo ablation. Both worked for about a week for me. That's why I am going for the SCS. I was sure hoping the RFA would have done the trick though.

Take care,
Bill

Hey Sicntired, I was just wondering, and I think this is a pretty important question to find out, what the RFA will do to any pending surgeries, and also, is there a waiting period between RFA and surgery? I ask because I know with the fusion that I just had, the said it was crucial that the nerves had as full of signal as possible, since the doctor was using a form of EMG along with floroscopy, in order to place his equipment and miss the nerves. I think this is a question you should direct toward your surgeon, and not your PM, my PM wanted to do another round of useless injections, in order to help "keep me comfortable until surgery", but the surgeon said no way, it would delay surgery.

Yes it is certainly a dance. At the end of the day, the RFA's, the injections, and any of the other pain management techniques, they're all just masks for the real problem. Like I said before, despite my condition, the surgeon still gave me the choice about surgery, and being 28 years old, and being the sole provider and care taker for my 2 year old son, there was no clarity for me to base it on. Yes, there was a high possibillity, that with time, the damage in my back could have grown exponentially and put me in a wheel chair for life, unfortunately, that is also a possibility as a complication of the surgery, since they were right there actually touching, and moving my spinal cord around.

What I did to make up my mind, I talked to my grandfather, who is one of the wisest people I know. He asked me some pretty basic but very important questions.
1. Have you been told by more than one doctor who specializes in this field that it WILL require surgery, where you are at a point that it is no longer a question of if, it is a question of when?
2. Have conservative treatments offered you any relief from your symptoms at all, to allow you to put the surgery off for a while, if you so choosed?
3. Can you live with the fact, and not complain, that putting it off a few years, or more, could drastically change how quickly you are able to recover from surgery, despite regular advances in surgical practices almost yearly, be sattisfied with the gamble, that you could potentially reach a point of inoperability?
4. (I thought this was a really good analagy) your body, just like an engine with a blown head gasket, can continue to run, but eventually, that blown head gasket is going to cause some very major, unfixable problems, and they cant put a new motor in you, are you comfortable taking that gamble?

So, I would suggest you print those out and think about your answers to them long and hard and concider them with your husband too, but keep in mind, it is your body, and you are the one that has to live with the final decision. I honestly to not remember if you said that you have had any of the injections or not, or what other types of conservative therapies you may have done. They do work for some people. My mother has a disc in the cervicle area that she's been able to keep at bay for years with the injections. It flares up maybe once every year to 18 months, and she goes in and has another shot, and she's just fine for quite a while. The injections didn't even phase my back, though they did help for a few weeks with some of the weird sensations I was having in my legs, not the falling asleep part but definately with the burning sensations and the razor blade feelings.

So definately get that second opinion from another surgeon, and start asking around in your area, on Facebook, and everywhere else, and try to find the best surgeon you can get. I would look for one who's board certified in orthopedic surgery of the spine, I really beleive that makes a huge difference in the knowledge of the doctor, since, in my state anyways, that board certification takes over 1000 extra hours of specialized hands on training and instruction. And then make sure to ask the surgeon, what are the long term (meaning 10 years from now) possibilities if you do have surgery, and what are they if you dont. In my case, when I have such an important thing lingering over my head, I always look to a higher power for some guidence, whether you believe in God, or if you have a wise, life-long trusted friend who you trust to offer some guidance, it never hurts to rely on something besides your own logic, because stress has a tendancy to cloud our thinking, and make an obvious answer linger in the dark. And I'll be honest, just going by the way I remember your messages being worded, I think you've already made up your mind about what you want to do, somewhere deep inside your head anyways, and you really need someone to confirm that you've made the right choice, well, if I'm correct about that, then whatever choice it is, yes it is most likely the correct one - because you made it, not some guy in a white coat who will see you 4 times in your life, go with your gut, and your heart, once you have all the facts anyways.

I hope I wasnt offensive, and I hope whatever happens, it works out to the best for you. I really beleive that you already know what to do, you just need to believe in your own decision making abilities. Remember to think about the facts, but never give up on hope either. Take care, and keep us posted on what happens. You can do it! I know you can!!!

First of all, Matt, no offense taken... Ever! I totally want people to shoot straight with me, always! Sometimes (this isn't one of them), the truth hurts, but honestly, I didn't come here for people to tip-toe around and try to figure out what I want to hear. So, no worries about that ever, m'kay?

Here's the thing... And you're right about my already having decided. I want the surgery, but I want it with the guarantee that it'll help me and that this won't be the first of many. Don't want much, do I? Now, I know that none of those guarantees are even a remote possibility. So, now what?

I really am not the Diva that last paragraph made me sound to be (besides, that position is already held by my nine-year-old daughter). Absent those guarantees, I suppose I still know what I want. I want to feel better, and when spinal surgery is that thing to make me feel better... Wow, Matt, you're good... It really does come down to trusting myself, doesn't it?

The neurosurgeon I saw basically said this: He called my discs "large bulges" (I thought the report I read said the lower was actually herniated, however, he saw the actual images, not the report) that don't look too bad; would he do the surgery? Sure, we can schedule it today. Do I need surgery today? No, it is not emergent. Will it become emergent? Well, since I am "only" 41 and likely have another 40 years in me, having surgery today will likely start me down the road of needing surgery on the space above where surgery was due to it compensating and taking the movement the two fused spaces no longer can. So, he says, the only way to help these discs is with anti-inflammatories, exercise and PT (tried anti-inflams, exercise hurts, although I do try to walk when I can and I haven't done PT). Like I said, he didn't sound too keen on PM or the modalities offered thru PM. I took all of this to mean this: Yes, surgery is in my future. Whether I elect to bite the bullet and have it now OR do all that I can to buy myself time until I just can't stand it anymore (which is pretty much where I am), then have surgery. I am not so confident that I can buy myself several years... Heck, I'd be happy with buying several months, at this point!

Here's the thing... I can tell that my husband thinks I should wait. And I have always looked to him as Mr. Sensible, because he really is. I suppose there is a part of me thinking that if surgery right now was the sensible option, he would be the first one to tell me to go for it. But he isn't.

I have tried many other conservative "things". (Just to catch you up) I've had ESIs, trigger point injections, facet joint injections, injections just to numb me, TENS, heat, ice (although with the cold intolerance from my recently diagnosed hypothroid, simply put, ice *hurts*), and I'm sure I'm leaving some other thing out. The injections, at one point, were giving me several months, even a couple of times, up to a year, of relief. However, these last attempts have only given me a few days, weeks at most.

Once again, I feel as if I'm rambling. I plan to take my Mom with me to the second opinion appointment. She is great in these types of situations and I think it will be helpful just to have a different opinion, even if she thinks I shoukd wait.

Oh, and Susie, those are exactly my two problem discs. I really take your experience to heart! Thank you for sharing.

(one thing I keep forgetting to ask either PM doc or heck, even my PCP... I had spinal mennigitis when I was 2 1/2. I was hospitalized over two weeks and completely digressed... I had been totally potty trained prior and had to completely relearn, as well as talking - had to relearn speech, as well. I have never had any learning or speech difficulties, however, has anyone heard of any long-term physycal effects? Don't worry... I'm all over teh Google!)

Thanks for putting up with me... ALL of you!!