Persistent low back pain.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Catheter Ablation↗
Biomedical subjects
Milan Stojanovic
Publications and source records attributed to Milan Stojanovic.
Risk factors for failure and complications of intradiscal electrothermal therapy: a pilot study.
STUDY DESIGN: A bi-institutional, retrospective clinical data analysis. OBJECTIVES: To determine risk factors for failure and complications of intradiscal electrothermal therapy, a treatment for discogenic back pain. SUMMARY OF THE BACKGROUND DATA: Intradiscal electrothermal therapy is a relatively new treatment for discogenic back pain. Though previous studies have shown it to be an effective treatment, there are few published studies examining complications and none examining risk factors for failure. METHODS: The authors treated 79 patients with discogenic back pain using intradiscal electrothermal therapy. Complications were assessed by patient report and, when indicated, further diagnostic testing. Success or failure was determined by visual analogue pain scores at 6-month follow-up. Variables examined for their relationship to failure and complications were age, sex, duration of pain, number of levels heated, smoking history, diabetes, obesity, leg pain, and previous back surgery. RESULTS: Forty-eight percent of patients reported more than 50% pain relief at their 6-month follow-up. There were eight complications (10%), most of which were self-limited and transient. The only risk factor associated with intradiscal electrothermal therapy failure was obesity (P = 0.01). Whereas 54% of nonobese patients reported good pain relief at 6 months, only one out of 10 obese patients had successful intradiscal electrothermal therapy. The obese patients in our study were more likely to have a complication from intradiscal electrothermal therapy than they were to obtain pain relief. CONCLUSION: The only risk factor found to be associated with IDET outcome was obesity, which was a strong predictor of failure. Obesity should be considered a relative contraindication to performing IDET.
Adolescent↗
Does needle insertion site affect diskography results? A retrospective analysis.
STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective clinical data analysis was performed. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of needle insertion site on provocative diskography results, and to ascertain whether performing diskography ipsilaterally to a patient's reported pain leads to a higher rate of false-positives. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: In certain groups of patients, provocative diskography is associated with a significant false-positive rate, which can lead to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. Although purported by some to be a cause of false-positive diskogram results, the effect of needle insertion site on diskography results has yet to be determined. METHODS: The charts of 127 patients who underwent diskography were evaluated to determine the relationship between the location of pain, needle insertion site, and diskography results. RESULTS: Performing diskography on the side ipsilateral to a patient's pain did not result in a higher incidence of positive diskogram results. CONCLUSION: False-positive diskography results are unlikely to result from performing the procedure on the same side as a patient's reported pain.
Adult↗