treatments are performed by the
physician with additional, specialized
training in pain management, and who
uses imaging (such as fluoroscopy or
ultrasound) to precisely guide treatment
to the area of the body where pain is
originating. Treatments include spine and
joint injections, nerve blocks and other
techniques that are clinically proven to
relieve pain.
Rekha Suthar, M.D. is an anesthesiologist
specialized in interventional pain
management.She recently joined Lakeland
Vascular Institute in October 2019. She has
treated patients with workplace injuries,
neck and spine pain caused by aging,
chronic headaches, athletic injuries and
even pain resulting from progression of
cancer. “There are many more ways now
to treat chronic pain than ever before,”
Dr. Suthar says. “This has given patients
important new options that, in some
cases, may fit better with their specific
circumstances.”
The advantages of this minimally invasive
approach are numerous, compared to
surgery. They include a shorter procedure
time (about 15 minutes), no overnight
hospital stay, virtually no scarring, a faster
recovery and less risk of complication or
infection. In most cases, procedures can
be performed in an outpatient setting,
offering greater convenience for the
patient and a lower likelihood of being
exposed to bacteria, viruses and other
infectious diseases, which are more
common in a hospital setting and can lead
to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).
How effective are these procedures?
Fluoroscopy-guided injection treatments
for chronic back pain and sacroiliac (SI)
joint pain have been clinically shown
to be safe and effective, with very
low complications. For example, up to
80% of patients undergoing epidural
steroid injections for back pain report a
significant improvement in pain scores
following the treatment.
Rekha Suthar, M.D. is an anesthesiologist specialized in interventional pain
management. After attending Medical school at B.J. Medical College in
Ahmedabad, India, she did her Internship at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami,
FL, for General Surgery and Residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami, FL,
for Anesthesiology.
18 WomanToWomanMagazine.com
/WomanToWomanMagazine.com