What Must A Patient Expect After A Radio Frequency Ablation Procedure?

Almost every four out of five people in the world are affected by chronic spinal nerve pain. There are plenty of medications and exercises for improving this pain. But Radio Frequency Ablation or RFA is by far the most successful treatment for reducing the pain in spinal nerves.

RFA is a surgery performed by the neurosurgeon by keeping the patient under sedation, using electrical current produced by radio waves. The current heats the small area of the affected nerve tissue to decrease the inflammation.

If you are well aware of the Radio Frequency Ablation procedure but are still unsure about its after-effects, you must proceed with the blog and fulfill your thirst for knowledge.

The blog has covered everything that a person requires to know after undergoing Radio Frequency Ablation, the pain relief surgery.

What Happens After The Completion of RFA?

• After the neurosurgeon performs the procedure, the patient is left under the effect of anesthesia. The nurse observes the patient until drowsiness fades away.
• The patients are kept under observation for about 6 to 7 hours to monitor their recovery and ensure that no immediate complications occur after the treatment.
• It is pretty common for the patient to have slight discomfort at the treated area of the body for a considerable amount of time. However, the effects of anesthesia don’t last long.
• Once the healing starts, the patients can go home in the care of their loved ones.

What Is The Recovery Rate After Discharge

• Some patients might recover soon, while some won’t. Know that their recovery rate varies from person to person.
• As per the suggestions of the pain management expert, patients must not create any haste. They should wait to get back to their routine for at least until they have crossed the recovery stage.
• By regularly applying a heat or ice pack on the area, the patient can easily ease out pain after the treatment.

After Effects Of RFA Process

• Slight pain, signs of hypersensitivity, and discomfort are pretty common in the affected area for some time.
• Patients can expect total relief from the after-effects of the treatment in a brief time. It takes time for the treated nerves to die and put an end to sending pain signals to the treated area.
• One might feel weak in the back of the neck during the healing period, which will fade away with recovery.

Continue The Treatment After Recovery?

Yes, the patients must not stop them from taking care of their bodies even after recovering from the Radio Frequency Ablation procedure.

Patients are most likely to have lingering pain in the treated area, which may deplete only after proper care. As per the surgeon’s suggestion, patients must apply ice or heat packs on the treated spot to relieve pain. Other than that, they may even take the medications prescribed by their doctors for early effects.

The Bottom Line:

The treatment takes its time to heal and show you the results. The results last for a long time; however, it is majorly dependent on how the patient has been taken care of. Over time, the ablated nerve from the treatment grows back, which may or may not cause pain again. If the patient experiences pain even after a considerable amount of time, they must consult their doctor, who might recommend a second session.

There is nothing to worry about RFA. Just understand the details of the procedure before you step into making a final decision.