Definition of Intradiskal electrothermal therapy

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Intradiskal electrothermal therapy: A procedure designed to relieve back pain due to damage to the disks between the spine bones. Called IDET for short.

Under local anesthesia and X-ray guidance, a needle is introduced into the disk and a catheter with a heating coil is inserted through the needle. The tip of the catheter is then gradually heated to seal the breach in the collagen in the disk wall. The aim is to kill the tiny nerve endings that carry pain signals from the site and so relieve the pain. Following the procedure, the patient should be able to leave the hospital within two hours.

As of the year 2000, results were not yet available from controlled double-blind studies so the value of IDET remained to be proven.