IT’S NOT SPINE SURGERY.

Surgery is usually the last resort for back pain, but when back pain lasts longer than 12 weeks; more conservative treatments usually aren’t very eﬀective. Some people suﬀer for years with back pain associated with arthritis of the spine, (also called facet joint, or facet-mediated pain) and are told they require rather invasive fusion surgery. At our center we treat back pain patients from across the country and across the globe, oﬀering alternatives to spinal fusion surgery that not only preserves motion, but gets you out of pain in as little as just a few hours.

THE S.E.R.T. PROCEDURE

Spinal fusion surgery is major procedure that comes with all of the associated risks of an open surgery. Spinal fusion ultimately reduces motion in the back by fusing vertebrae together. Fusion also has comes a lengthy recovery period associated with it. The good news is, there’s a “super minimally invasive” option other than spinal fusion surgery for eliminating facet joint pain— S.E.R.T.

S.E.R.T. IS NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL BACK SURGERY. IN FACT, MANY HAVE SAID THAT THE WORD “SURGERY” IS TOO STRONG A TERM TO USE AS A DESCRIPTION FOR THIS PROCEDURE. S.E.R.T. IS A SUPER-MINIMALLY INVASIVE, ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURE THAT FOCUSES ON THE PAIN RECEPTORS ASSOCIATED WITH TRANSMITTING PAIN SIGNALS FROM THE FACET JOINTS TO THE BRAIN. THINK OF IT AS A ROOT CANAL FOR YOUR BACK— AND IN SOME INSTANCES IT TAKES ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME TO PERFORM, OFTEN WITHOUT THE NEED FOR GENERALLY ANESTHESIA.

HOW DOES S.E.R.T. WORK?

Just like the nerves in a damaged tooth, certain pain receptors in your spine are there to serve only one purpose: transmit pain signals to your brain. When you have facet joint pain, the cushioning cartilage between the facet joints breaks down. This activates the associated nerves, causing pain that typically begins on one side of the back and cascades down the buttocks to the hip.

During the S.E.R.T. procedure, our board certiﬁed spine surgeons will make a tiny entry point, allowing them to insert a narrow, ﬂexible tube with a camera at the end. Next, the surgeon will locate the problem pain receptors and “deactivate” them permanently. The endoscope is then removed and a medical grade adhesive is used to seal the entry point.

S.E.R.T. IS TYPICALLY PERFORMED UNDER TWILIGHT SEDATION. GENERAL ANESTHESIA CAN ALSO BE USED YOU ARE NOT A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR SEDATION. THE PROCEDURE TAKES ABOUT 30-60 MINUTES AND MANY PATIENTS ARE ABLE TO WALK OUT OF THE SURGICAL CENTER UNASSISTED.

HOW MANY RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATIONS HAVE YOU HAD?

If your answer to this question is one or more, and you are still living in pain—you might be a candidate for S.E.R.T. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) uses heat energy to damage the nerve ﬁbers that transmit back pain. But RFA is only temporary. The nerve ﬁbers eventually grow back through the burned lesion. Also, RFA doesn’t work for everyone. It is successful 70%-80% of the time. Multiple RFA’s can be costly and is not without risk. Treatment with S.E.R.T.— is permanent.

WITH S.E.R.T., THE NERVE FIBER IS COMPLETELY SEVERED, NOT JUST DAMAGED WITH HEAT ENERGY. THE NERVE WILL NEVER GROW BACK. IT WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TRANSMIT PAIN AGAIN.

AM I A CANDIDATE FOR S.E.R.T.?

Before we perform the S.E.R.T. procedure, we will perform specific diagnostic testing to ensure that the pain you are experiencing is indeed due to facet joint pain and that S.E.R.T. is the solution for your needs.

Besides facet joint pain, S.E.R.T. can also treat:
• Sacroiliac joint disorder
• Back spasms caused by facet joint problems
• Some for whom RFA was ineffective

To confirm S.E.R.T. can help you (and we won’t perform it on you unless we
know it can), we will:
• First listen to you—which helps us to assess whether the pain you are experiencing is indeed facet-mediated pain.
• Review your MRI to help rule out other potential causes of pain
• Perform a hands-on, physical examination of the joints in your back
• Perform a specific type of “nerve block” called a medial branch block. If your pain is eliminated during the few hours the nerve block is active, we have all reason to believe that the facet joint is the source of your pain.

BENEFITS OF S.E.R.T.

• Permanent solution for facet joint pain
• Preserves the integrity of the discs and vertebrae
• No cutting of muscle or soft tissue
• Low to no infection rate
• Can be done with sedation
• High success rates

THE RISKS OF S.E.R.T. ARE MINIMAL DUE TO ITS SUPER-MINIMALLY INVASIVE NATURE. MOST PATIENTS ARE ABLE TO UNDERGO THE PROCEDURE WITH TWILIGHT SEDATION, AND OUR INFECTION RATE IS AS LOW AS IT CAN BE (CURRENTLY AT 0%).

Some patients worry about the “wrong” nerve being severed. Because the correct nerve is confirmed with a nerve block, and because the surgeon is able to physically view the surgical site rather than using imaging, this possibility is highly unlikely. Our surgical team is highly-skilled and committed to reducing risk in all cases.

If you are suffering with facet joint pain, S.E.R.T. may be your answer. Contact us today to talk to one of our patient care coordinators.