Epidural lysis of adhesions
Epidural lysis of adhesions (LOA), also known as percutaneous adhesiolysis or the Racz procedure, is a minimally invasive spine surgery which involves the dissolution of epidural scar tissue by mechanical means to facilitate the spread of analgesics in an effort to alleviate pain. It is a type of percutaneous adhesiolysis procedure commonly used to treat chronic pain resulting from failed back surgery syndrome wherein scar tissue has formed around the nerves and causes pain. Evidence suggests the procedure may also be effective in treating spinal stenosis and radicular pain caused by a herniated disc. (Sometimes hyaluronidase (an enzyme) is also injected to dissolve the adhesions.)
| Epidural lysis of adhesions | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Percutaneous adhesiolysis |
| Specialty | neurology |
It was developed at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) in 1989 by Gabor B. Racz.
The procedure was assigned a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code in 2000.