Cryogenic plasma radiofrequency ablation – removing discs without surgery

  Minimally invasive treatment for cervical and lumbar disc herniation has developed rapidly in recent years, and many patients with cervical and lumbar disc herniation choose minimally invasive treatment methods due to its advantages of less trauma, fewer complications and exact efficacy. Percutaneous puncture low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a plasma knife to ablate, vaporize and crumple the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc, thereby reducing the pressure in the disc, causing the herniated nucleus pulposus to return, relieving the compression on the nerve root and achieving the treatment purpose of disc reconstruction.  It is a minimally invasive procedure that uses the energy of the plasma generated by the plasma knife to break the molecular bonds of the nucleus pulposus and cause the decomposition, vaporization and ablation of the nucleus pulposus at a low temperature (40°C) to form several ablation orifices. At the same time, the cold coagulation effect of the plasma knife is utilized, i.e., heating (about 70℃) causes the collagen fibers of the nucleus pulposus tissue to contract and solidify, so that the vaporization, ablation, contraction and solidification of the nucleus pulposus tissue under low temperature (40℃~70℃) is completed within 3 minutes, which results in rapid relief of clinical symptoms and further reduction of the nucleus pulposus tissue 2-3 weeks after surgery to achieve the best clinical effect.     At present, intervertebral disc low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation is mainly used for the treatment of discogenic low back pain, (cervical and lumbar) disc herniation, dizziness caused by disc bulge, upper and lower limb pain, etc. Through the observation of a large number of cases, the efficacy is stable, safe and less painful for patients, and they can be discharged from the hospital 1-2 days after the operation.  In addition, low-temperature plasma radiofrequency ablation of intervertebral discs can protect the wall of the annulus fibrosus to the maximum extent and can effectively remove the nucleus pulposus tissue, resulting in less disc degeneration after surgery, minimal impact on spinal stability, low re-protrusion rate of intervertebral discs, less interference with nerve roots, shorter operation time and fewer complications. The procedure is minimally invasive, non-scarring, easy to perform, and has a definite postoperative effect.