Treating Piriformis Syndrome
Image Based Surgery Center is a leader in the effective treatment of piriformis syndrome. Patients the world over travel to IBSC in Santa Monica, California, in order to achieve the pain-free lifestyle they seek, free from sciatica and piriformis syndrome.
It's incredible but true: more than 1.5 million people annually in the USA have MRI scans to pinpoint the source of their "sciatica." But more often than not, these people are being misdiagnosed; in reality, they suffer from piriformis syndrome.
Buttock and leg pain are common indicators of the condition commonly known as sciatica. But an amazing 1.2 million of those annual scans fail to find the cause of the pain, which is usually located in the spine even though patients feel it in their buttocks and legs.
Worse, more than 300,000 of those patients end up having lumbar spine surgeries, and as many as 25% of those fail to relieve their pain as a result of the procedure. That's a staggering number considering the cost, effort and recovery window required of lumbar spine surgery.
And in many of these cases, the reason for the failure is simple: the diagnosis failed to identify the correct root cause of the sciatica - piriformis syndrome.
Its treatment is much less invasive and severe than the treatment of herniated lumbar disks. However, many doctors never consider piriformis syndrome as a possible diagnosis. Many physicians who are aware of it are uncertain how to properly diagnose and treat it.
IBSC surgeons rely on years of expertise combined with the safe, pain-free accuracy of MR neurography imaging to pinpoint the source of sciatica pain. Many patients report excellent, sustained results from IBSC's acknowledged leadership in MR-guided injections. This form of treatment is minimally invasive, virtually pain free and entirely comfortable. It is performed entirely within IBSC and the procedure often takes less than an hour.
Your safety is our primary concern at Image Based Surgery Center. That's why we only use MRI imaging for your procedures. No dangerous radiation from repeated CT scans or x-rays - only the 100% safe, completely comfortable Philips Panorama MRI for all your imaging requirements.
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Treating Pudendal Nerve Issues
Image Based Surgery Center is a leader in the treatment of pudendal nerve problems.
There are many causes of pain in the abdomen and pelvis. The best strategy is to begin with a visit to your internist, general surgeon, urologist or gynecologist.
Sometimes the cause of pain and numbness in various areas of the pelvis remains a mystery.
The nerves involved form a complex alphabet soup of different syndromes that many general doctors are simply not familiar with. In the front of the groin area – the problem may be with ilioinguinal or genitofemoral nerves. In the inner thigh – it may be the obturator nerve. Buttock pains can come from the superior or inferior gluteal nerves, the cluneal nerves, or from the nerve to the obturator internus. When pain or numbness affects the area between the legs – the pudendal nerves may be involved.
The pudendal nerves travel a long complex course – they may be entrapped in the upper pelvis near the piriformis muscle, in the mid-pelvis near the Ischial spine, or in the low pelvis along the Alcock's canal that travels over the obturator internus muscle.
At IBSC, we rely on a combination of specialized surgical knowledge of these conditions combined with the best in medical imaging technology from The Neurography Institute, the exclusive provider of magnetic resonance neurography scans. MR neurography has a proven track record for diagnosing pelvic pain problems that are due to problems with nerves. This scanning technique is an integral component to all diagnostic strategies at Image Based Surgery Center.
An MR neurography study can be the first step towards finding the source of the pain. Even these small nerves can demonstrate a tell-tale signal of injury or entrapment on an MR neurography study. Then, together with a physical exam by a pelvic nerve specialist and targeted injections and blocks you may finally be able to get a solid and treatable diagnosis.
Trust Image Based Surgery Center to help you find the right path to a pain-free lifestyle.
Your safety is our primary concern at Image Based Surgery Center. That's why we only use MRI imaging for your procedures. No dangerous radiation from repeated CT scans or x-rays - only the 100% safe, completely comfortable Philips Panorama MRI for all your imaging requirements.
Additional resources on Pudendal Nerve Issues
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Treating Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Trust Image Based Surgery Center for effective treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome.
Pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, hands, even headaches may be due to this highly treatable disorder, also known as TOS.
TOS is a general medical term that refers to nerve entrapments and pinched nerves occurring in the neck and shoulder region, but outside of the spine.
The most common features of this disorder are pain and numbness in the ring and little finger and the experience of increased pain and numbness — even weakness — when working with your arms lifted or overhead.
It's common to diagnoses such pain, numbness and weakness as being related to a spinal condition. And often, that is indeed the case; a problem in the spine is the cause of the condition.
But when the spine is not the cause, the diagnosis leads to thoracic outlet syndrome. TOS is related to a problem with the nerves of the brachial plexus that travel through the thoracic outlet along with the arteries and veins. Entrapments ensue, and TOS becomes the culprit.
IBSC works with The Neurography Institute, the exclusive provider of magnetic resonance neurographies, to help accurately diagnose thoracic outlet syndrome. With an MR neurography, your IBSC surgeon can pinpoint the source of the problem and craft the appropriate strategy for alleviating the pain at its origin.
Many individuals suffering from thoracic outlet syndrome get inappropriate spinal surgeries, only to experience long recovery periods and a lack of improvement in their condition.
Neck, shoulder, arm and hand pain should always be viewed from a variety of perspectives that include the possibility of thoracic outlet syndrome. Trust Image Based Surgery Center to provide the right diagnosis tools in order to determine the exact cause of your pain - and provide the skilled surgery to correct the condition.
Your safety is our primary concern at Image Based Surgery Center. That's why we only use MRI imaging for your procedures. No dangerous radiation from repeated CT scans or x-rays - only the 100% safe, completely comfortable Philips Panorama MRI for all your imaging requirements.
Additional resources on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
IBSC Treatments and Strategies
Treating RSD
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) is a nerve entrapment that can lead to a wide variety of problems and great discomfort; Image Based Surgery Center gives you the expertise and capabilities to resolve RSD.
RSD causes intense burning pain in the skin, odd temperature and color changes in the limbs, even hair loss and bone fractures.
Often, the problem starts out with a relatively minor injury or entrapment involving a nerve. The pain progresses and then transforms. RSD can affect entire regions of the body and can even spread to the whole body. Most pain medicines have no effect on the pain of RSD.
Today, it has been shown that many RSD patients can be cured through a combination of magnetic resonance neurography (to pinpoint the cause of the RSD) and specialized surgical techniques available at Image Based Surgery Center.
Unbelievably, many physicians today still know very little about reflex sympathetic dystrophy. This results in incorrect diagnoses or worse, telling patients they will have to endure a lifetime of pain because "there is no treatment."
In the past, a variety of techniques were employed to treat the symptoms of RSD: spinal stimulators, ganglion injections, complex drug regimens, hospitalizations, painful physical therapy, and more. All provided varying degrees of relief to sufferers, but did not attach the root cause - the specific nerve entrapments unique to RSD.
Thanks to MR neurography scans from The Neurography Institute (the world's exclusive provider of MR neurographies), patients can have the exact location of their RSD nerve entrapments imaged and pinpointed. This information is then used by the surgeons of Image Based Surgery Center to provide a specific course of action, including MR-guided injections and more involved surgical procedures.
Trust the talented surgeons of Image Based Surgery Center to provide a lasting relief from your reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
Your safety is our primary concern at Image Based Surgery Center. That's why we only use MRI imaging for your procedures. No dangerous radiation from repeated CT scans or x-rays - only the 100% safe, completely comfortable Philips Panorama MRI for all your imaging requirements.
Additional resources on RSD
IBSC Treatments and Strategies
Treating Nerve Tumors
Image Based Surgery Center is a leader in the diagnosis and treatment of nerve tumors.
Nerve tumors affecting the nerves are rare. Moreover, they are often benign and curable.
The main challenge with successfully treating nerve tumors is pinpointing their location. The pain and numbness caused by a nerve tumor may mimic a far more common type of nerve pinch or syndrome. It is not uncommon for nerve tumors to be misdiagnosed as other disorders, and for surgeries to be performed for the wrong affliction.
Image Based Surgery Center partners with The Neurography Institute to provide accurate imaging of nerve tumors. MR neurography is highly effective for identifying normally-invisible nerve tumors. In fact, MR neurography is so accurate, it can image tumors as small as one or two millimeters.
It is not uncommon for nerve tumors of all sizes to be discovered during MR neurography studies ordered by doctors looking for a nerve entrapment.
Once identified, surgeons at Image Based Surgery Center can custom-tailor a surgical resolution for the tumor that is minimally invasive and creates a very short recovery window.
Your safety is our primary concern at Image Based Surgery Center. That's why we only use MRI imaging for your procedures. No dangerous radiation from repeated CT scans or x-rays - only the 100% safe, completely comfortable Philips Panorama MRI for all your imaging requirements.
Additional resources on Nerve Disorders
IBSC Treatments and Strategies
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Accredited by the AAAHC
Image Based Surgery Center of Santa Monica, California, is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care., Inc. This seal of approval from the United States' leading accrediting firm for ambulatory health care facilities signifies IBSC is certified to operate as a surgical center.
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Insurance Information
Image Based Surgery Center accepts many major insurance plans. IBSC has opted out of Medicare; this means we do not accept Medicare as payment for services. Contact IBSC for complete details on insurance coverage and payment options.
