Rhyzoromy Coming Up

I am scheduled for radio-frequency ablation of my sacroiliac joints (they are located between the lower spine and pelvic girdle). This will be my first since I've had PM's. it is also called rhyzotomy. It kills the sensory nerves with radio frequency pulses. How is the PM protected during this process? I'm concerned because once during one of my neck surgeries, a neurosurgeon used a cautery tool at an unsafe level. I know this because the tale tell signs were captured on my PM's recorder. The Medtronic rep who was on stsnd by for the procedure reported ZIP to my EP. Boy was my EP angry when he saw results of my interrogation. So, anyone know how the PM is protected from the radio frequencies used in this procedure?

3 Comments

You had better...

by donr - 2012-07-28 01:07:11

...ask the surgeon who is doing the job! Seriously, now - you really need to know.

I just had a big toe worked on & you cannot get much further from the PM than THAT! I asked my surgeon's PA if they planned on using any electro-cautery equipment & she said that they would only use bi-polar devices so that the electric current was confined to the immediate area of the device.

They have an electro cautery device called a Bovie that is unipolar - it requires that they establish a very good electrical ground to your body. With that one the current can go many places as it flows from the device to the ground spot.

Don

Got It

by Yakkwak - 2012-07-28 08:07:06

Thank you, Don; will do. Mistakes do happen.

May have been OK.

by ElectricFrank - 2012-07-29 01:07:52

Keep in mind the Medtronics rep has information the EP may not have as far as the effect of interference. He may have seen the interference on his monitor, but was able to determine that it wasn't a problem.

The EP or other surgeon should make it clear whether he wants to know every detail during the surgery or just the important stuff. The next doc may get irritated because he had to read through several pages of detail he wasn't interested in.

I'm not defending the rep. As an electronic field engineer I just am aware of the realities of working with other professionals.

frank

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