FactFinders for patient safety: Antithrombotics and interventional pain procedures -- lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections and lumbar medial branch radiofrequency neurotomy

Abstract

This series of FactFinders presents a brief summary of the evidence and outlines recommendations regarding the safety of antithrombotics and two interventional pain procedures — lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections and lumbar medial branch radiofrequency neurotomy.The evidence in support of the following facts is presented: (1) The decision to withhold antiplatelet therapy prior to lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections should be made on a case-by-case basis, weighing the relative risk of hemorrhage versus the risk of thrombosis for each patient. (2) A clinically significant hemorrhagic complication has never been reported in the medical literature in association with a lumbar medial branch radiofrequency neurotomy procedure. (3) Discontinuing antithrombotics for lumbar radiofrequency neurotomy procedures, even for a short period of time, may lead to an increased incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.