Approved FDA Procedure Brings Patients Relief without Pain Medication

Ohio Valley Hospital Pain Treatment Center physicians are some of the few performing an outpatient procedure used in place of opioids to improve pain from osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis affects more than 30 million Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can lead to joint pain, swelling, and stiffness due to the breakdown of cartilage between bones.
Coolief Radio Frequency Ablation has recently been approved by the FDA.

The procedure uses radio frequency to freeze pain nerves which typically sense knee pain. Dr. David DeChellis and Dr Ankur Gosalia began treating patients with Coolief about two years ago, and have seen their patients respond with immediate relief and increased function and mobility.

"We felt the procedure is an excellent option in our many pain patients with these conditions that have failed conservative care, including injections and therapy, and would like to avoid pain medications. The majority of our patients have responded well to the point that they will tell us there has been a positive change in their ability to tolerate life activities as well as diminish pain without mediations," said Dr. DeChellis.

In fact, Coolief Radio Frequency Ablation is one of the many non-surgical procedures the Ohio Valley Hospital Pain Treatment Center prefers to prescribing medications.

"Our future generations of patients will likely benefit from the advanced technology and regenerative biologics/medicine becoming available in pain management, to the point where opioids will be rarely needed to treat chronic pain."

For more information or to make an appointment, please call (412) 777-6400. The Ohio Valley Hospital Pain Treatment Center is located at West Kenmawr Plaza, 500 Pine Hollow Road, Kennedy Township.

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Ohio Valley Hospital, located in Kennedy Township, is a 124-bed, not-for-profit community hospital with a medical staff of 250 physicians in 26 medical specialties. OVH has been providing specialized diagnostic services, advanced technologies, comprehensive treatments and truly personalized care to the residents of Pittsburgh's western suburbs for more than 100 years. For more information, please visit www.ohiovalleyhospital.org.

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