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Radiofrequency Lesioning

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Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery

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Abstract

Radiofrequency lesioning (RFL) is a time-proven, safe method of long-term pain relief. It provides successful treatment for trigeminal neuralgia and has been explored as a tool for symptomatic relief of many other neurologic conditions including Parkinson’s disease, oncologic pain, spinal pain syndromes, facial spasm, facial pain of multiple sclerosis, vagoglossopharyngeal neuralgia, and (rarely) atypical facial pain (1–5). Originally the RFL method was poorly controlled; a 1-cm noninsulated electrode tip placed in the gasserian ganglion was guided with a stereotactic frame (6). Although this technique successfully relieved symptoms of tic douloureux, a high incidence of complications occurred including anesthesia dolorosa, cranial nerve palsies, corneal ulcers, and blindness. Attempts to improve outcomes and reduce complications led to the practice of creating small serial lesions and intervening neurologic exams while titrating the lesion to the desired effect (7). Many published series of RFL for trigeminal neuralgia accumulated over decades have demonstrated its relative safety and efficacy for select patient populations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Mayfield Clinic, Cincinnati, OH

    Michael Petr MD, PhD & John M. Tew Jr. MD

Authors
  1. Michael Petr MD, PhD
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  2. John M. Tew Jr. MD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, The Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

    Mark R. Proctor MD  & Peter M. Black MD, PhD  & 

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

    Peter M. Black MD, PhD

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© 2005 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Petr, M., Tew, J.M. (2005). Radiofrequency Lesioning. In: Proctor, M.R., Black, P.M. (eds) Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-899-4:209

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-899-4:209

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-147-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-899-1

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