Minimally-Invasive, Laser Assisted Pain-Relief for Disc Herniation, Spinal Arthritis in Lancaster

LANCASTER, Ohio - July 14, 2014 - PRLog -- Dr. Ron Linehan, medical director of Precision Pain Care and staff anesthesiologist at Fairfield Medical Center, recently received his credentials to perform a new type of minimally-invasive procedure for the relief of pain due to arthritis in the spine and pinched nerves from disc herniations.

Adding to his certifications in spinal cord stimulator placement, percutaneous discectomy, kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty and radio-frequency ablation, Dr Linehan is now certified to perform endoscopic discectomy and rhizotomy. Both endoscopic procedures can be used with laser ablation when appropriate.

Endoscopic discectomy is a minimally-invasive technique used to treat pain caused by spinal disc problems. Endoscopic discectomy allows for the removal of herniated disc material under direct endoscopic visualization, and is usually performed in an out-patient setting with no general anesthesia. This leads to faster recovery with much less surgical pain and lower risk.

Endoscopic rhizotomy is a treatment for painful facet joint arthritis of the spine. Nerves in the facet joints transmit the sensation of pain from the facet back to the brain. During minimally-invasive endoscopic rhizotomy, a small probe is inserted into the patient’s back and the nerves that supply the facet joints are cut or destroyed under direct endoscopic visualization. Successful pain relief is achieved in 80-90% of patients and typically lasts from 2-5 years. This is a much more effective way to treat pain from facet arthritis than more commonly used fluoroscopically guided radio-frequency techniques.

Dr. Linehan will perform endoscopic discectomy and facet jointrhizotomy as outpatient, minimally invasive surgical procedures at the Fairfield Medical Center campus in Lancaster. Dr. Linehan has been practicing in the Lancaster area since 1998.

About Dr. Linehan

Ron Linehan, M.D. is Board-certified in anesthesiology with a Subspecialty Certification in Pain Management, and is also certified by the American Board of Pain Medicine. The American Board of Anesthesiology Subspecialty Certification in Pain Management is the only pain management certification recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Dr. Linehan is qualified to treat all regions of the spine, including the neck (cervical), mid-spine (thoracic), lower back (lumbar), pelvic girdle and tailbone areas (sacrum and coccyx). He is certified in spinal cord stimulator placement, percutaneous discectomy, vertebroplasty, radio frequency ablation, endoscopic discectomy and rhizotomy.

Dr. Linehan practices at the Precision Pain Care office in Lancaster, Ohio. In addition to pain management, Dr. Linehan practices general anesthesiology at Fairfield Medical Center. He has volunteered with HELPS International, Operation Smile and the International Cardiac Care Foundation, providing anesthesiology services for patients in developing countries.

Read more about Dr. Linehan and Precision Pain Care at http://www.precisepaincare.com.