Neurotomy may refer to the application of heat (as in
radio frequency nerve lesioning
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA), also called fulguration, is a medical procedure in which part of the electrical conduction system of the heart, tumor or other dysfunctional tissue is ablated using the heat generated from medium frequency alternati ...
) or freezing to sensory nerve fibers to cause their temporary degeneration, usually to relieve pain. Neurotomy and
neurolysis Neurolysis is the application of physical or chemical agents to a nerve in order to cause a temporary degeneration of targeted nerve fibers. When the nerve fibers degenerate, it causes an interruption in the transmission of nerve signals. In the med ...
(where the degeneration is caused by the application of chemical agents) are forms of
neurolytic block
Nerve block or regional nerve blockade is any deliberate interruption of signals traveling along a nerve, often for the purpose of pain relief. Local anesthetic nerve block (sometimes referred to as simply "nerve block") is a short-term block, u ...
. "Neurotomy" is sometimes used as a synonym for
neurectomy
A neurectomy is a type of nerve block involving the severing or removal of a nerve. This surgery is performed in rare cases of severe chronic pain where no other treatments have been successful, and for other conditions such as vertigo, involuntary ...
, the surgical cutting or removal of nervous tissue.
References
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Neurosurgery