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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Have Shooting Pain In Cervical, Thoracic. On Facet Block Injections. Will Surgery Help The Condition?

I am wanting to know if surgery will help with my cervical and thoracic pain that shoots throughout my shoulders and down my shoulder blade. I have been getting facet block injections, and now radio frequency injections from C7-T1. I am a 32 year old woman with a history of Arnold Chiari Malformation with cerebral tonsils extending 12 mm below the foramen magnum. In Feb 2010, I had a suboccipital craniectomy with decompression and removal of posterior arch of C1 duraplasty with bovine pericardium graft and duraseal. This surgery helped a little bit but in February of 2012 AND August of 2012, I was rear ended by another driver at a rate of 50 mph causing my whole right side to go numb and pain severely increasing to a point of desperation. Thus, resulting in all of these injections. I am 3 weeks post procedure from my completed set of radio frequency injections and the pain is back. I rec'd 3 weeks of very little pain, which was great, but these RF injections are supposed to last much longer, sometimes 6 months to a year.

I am very frustrated that the pain is back and I know surgery is my only other option. My diagnosis since the accidents are as follows: Degenerative disc disease in cervical, thoracic, and lumbar. Lumbosacral Spondylosis, Sciatica, Lumbar Radiculopathy, Lumbar Disc Displacement, Cervical Radiculopathy, and Cervical spondylosis. I have a mild reversal of the lordotic curvature also.

What surgeries can help and what are the success rates for pain relief.

Thank you so much

Alicia
Fri, 31 May 2013
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Orthopaedic Surgeon 's  Response
Hello.
Thanks for writing to us.
The possibility of the surgical treatment in your case and the benefit from the surgery can be assessed after an MRI scan. The surgery is recommended when there is no response to the medical treatment.
I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you.
Regards,
Dr. Praveen Tayal ,
drtayal72@gmail.com
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Have Shooting Pain In Cervical, Thoracic. On Facet Block Injections. Will Surgery Help The Condition?

Hello. Thanks for writing to us. The possibility of the surgical treatment in your case and the benefit from the surgery can be assessed after an MRI scan. The surgery is recommended when there is no response to the medical treatment. I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. Regards, Dr. Praveen Tayal , drtayal72@gmail.com