An endoscopic rhizotomy is the least invasive surgery that allows direct visualization of the medial branch nerves that supply the arthritic facet joints in the back of the spine. This procedure may also be called a facet joint denervation.

Medial branch nerves are very small nerves that innervate the facet joints of the spine. Facet joints are the joints connecting the different vertebra of the spine to each other. The joints are present on both sides of the spine from the neck to the lower back. When facet joint become arthritic, it can irritated and compressed these nerves and causing debilitating chronic low back pain. These nerves are not the nerves that control your bowel, bladder and/or sensation, movement in your legs.

The goal of the surgery is to identify these painful nerves by using endoscope and “snip” them using special equipment to cure these painful nerves. Again, these nerves are not the nerves that control your bowel, bladder and/or sensation, movement in your legs; thus very minimal to none consequences following the surgery.