Santa Maria Hospital adopts HIFU ultrasound therapy for chronic back pain

The Santa Maria Hospital in Terni has become one of the first medical centers in Italy to implement High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) thermoablation for treating lumbar facet syndrome. This condition affects the small joints of the spine and is a frequent cause of chronic lower back pain.

The HIFU procedure uses focused ultrasound beams to generate deep heat, allowing for the selective deactivation of nerve structures that transmit pain signals to the brain. This method is non-invasive, requiring no surgical incisions or needles, and is performed in a day hospital setting, allowing patients to return home the same day.

This technology offers a critical alternative for patients who have not responded to traditional treatments. Notably, the procedure can be used on patients with pacemakers, a condition that typically contraindicates traditional radiofrequency thermoablation. The treatments were carried out by the Pain Medicine unit, directed by Dr. Andrea Sanapo, within the Anesthesia and Resuscitation service led by Dr. Rita Commissari.