Epidural Injections
Epidural Injections:
Nowadays more patients are looking for non-surgical treatment options especially for the lumbar disc herniation disease or spinal stenosis. Epidural steriod injections are more frequently used and patients benefit from these treatment options. These procedures are more succesfull when the patient has persisting pain without nerve damage and not an ideal surgical candidate.
This procedure is performed in operating room under sterile conditions with the guidance of X-ray. A tiny needle is placed near the herniated tissue and steroid containing pain medication is applied through this needle. Whole procedure is around 15 minutes. After the procedure is completed, the patient is transferred to his/her room and after two hours of observation he/she can be discharged. 2 – 3 days of bed rest is recommended. As an experienced neurosurgeon who most commonly perform these injections, I can conclude that patients benefit a lot from these procedures.
Epidural steroid injections can be performed through;
- Interlaminar approach
- Transforaminal approach
- Caudal approach, according to the patient’s radiological and clinical evaluation.
Very seldomly infection can be seen as a complication after these procedures. The systemic side effects of steroids is rarely seen to the local injection. In diabetic patients more caution is needed. Local hemorrhages or nerve damage is not commonly faced upon complications.