About me
Dr Esebua is accepting new patients at Deaconess Comprehensive Pain Center in Henderson. Dr. Esebua is an interventional pain physician with a background in pain medicine and palliative medicine. He is specially trained to diagnose, treat and manage chronic pain and range of painful disorders. He will work primarily in the Henderson Pain Clinic but will also spend time in Evansville
Conditions Treated
Cancer Related Pain
Cancer-related pain affects an estimated 55% of patients undergoing treatment and can significantly impact quality of life. Interventional pain management offers targeted relief through techniques like nerve blocks, neurolytic procedures, peripheral nerve stimulation, kyphoplasty, radiofrequency ablation of tumors and intrathecal drug delivery. By addressing pain at its source, these interventions can help patients experience greater comfort, enhance daily functioning, and improve overall well-being.
Non-Cancer Chronic Pain
Non-cancer chronic pain impacts nearly 20% of adults worldwide, often leading to a reduced quality of life and hindrance in daily activities. Interventional pain management offers hope through personalized techniques such as epidural steroid injections, spinal cord stimulation, and radiofrequency ablation. These interventions are designed to target the underlying causes of pain, rather than merely masking symptoms, providing lasting relief for conditions like failed back surgery, sciatica, and chronic back pain.
Interventional Procedures
Interventional procedures represent a cutting-edge approach to pain management, utilized in treating both cancer-related and non-cancer chronic pain. Statistics show that up to 50% of chronic pain sufferers find significant relief through these methods. Examples of interventional procedures include nerve blocks, where medication is injected directly into the affected nerve, spinal cord stimulation that uses electrical impulses to ease pain, and radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat to target specific nerves.
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Minimally invasive surgery has revolutionized the field of interventional pain management, with up to 30% shorter recovery times compared to traditional surgical methods. These procedures, such as minimally invasive lumbar decompression or percutaneous spinal fixation, utilize small incisions and specialized instruments to address the source of pain with minimal disruption to surrounding tissues. By reducing surgical trauma, patients often experience less postoperative pain, quicker return to daily activities, and reduced risk of complications.
Neuromodulation
Neuromodulation is a rapidly growing field in pain management, used in the treatment of various chronic pain conditions. It involves the direct stimulation or alteration of the nervous system, and studies have shown that it can reduce chronic pain symptoms by up to 50% in many patients. Techniques such as spinal cord stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation and intrathecal drug delivery are examples of neuromodulation interventions. By targeting specific nerves or areas of the brain, these procedures can modify or interrupt pain signals, providing relief where traditional therapies may have failed. As a sophisticated and personalized approach, neuromodulation is playing an increasingly vital role in the comprehensive treatment of persistent pain.
Conservative Management
Conservative management is often the first line of treatment for many pain-related conditions, emphasizing non-invasive approaches that can reduce symptoms in up to 80% of patients with mild to moderate pain. This method focuses on treatments such as physical therapy, exercise, medication management, and lifestyle modifications. For conditions like chronic back pain, osteoarthritis, or soft tissue injuries, conservative management aims to restore function and alleviate pain without resorting to surgery or other interventional procedures. By combining various therapies tailored to individual needs, conservative management offers a holistic approach to pain relief, often paving the way for long-term well-being and comfort.
Education
PAIN MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
ACGME accredited comprehensive pain and spine medicine fellowship Winston-Salem North Carolina
HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE MEDICINE FELLOWSHIP
University of Nevada Reno / VA Sierra Nevada health system
ACGME accredited hospice and polity medicine fellowship at Sierra Nevada health system, the largest medical center in northern Nevada affiliated with VA
INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY
East Carolina University Health Medical Center
ACGME accredited internal medicine residency at East Carolina University Health Medical Center, 1000 bed level I trauma academic center in Greenville North Carolina.
EMERGENCY MEDICINE RESIDENCY
Tbilisi State Medical University / Acad Z. Kipshidze Memorial Hospital
Emergency Medicine Residency Training at a level 1 academic trauma center in Tbilisi, Georgia
Research
Professional Societies
North American Neuromodulation Society Guidelines committee member 2023
Pacific Spine and Pain Society Research Committee member 2023
Publications
Christopher A. Gilmore, MD, Janus Patel, MD, Lasha-Giorgi Esebua, MD, Michael Burchell, MD, A Review of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Techniques Targeting the Medial Branches of the Lumbar Dorsal Rami in the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain, Pain Medicine, Volume 21, Issue Supplement_1, August 2020, Pages S41–S46, https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnaa084 Pub Status: Published
Lasha-Giorgi Esebua, MD, Carrie Johnson, MD, PhD, Efficacy of serratus anterior plane block for the treatment of postmastectomy pain syndrome in patients with breast cancer: A systematic review Pub Status: Ongoing Research
Leonard Kapural MD, PhD, Lasha-Giorgi Esebua MD, Sphenopalatine ganglion radiofrequency ablation for severe facial rosacea manifestations Pub Status: Submitted for Publication
Esebua, L. G. (2017, January 05). Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department: Should I use Opioids? http://emergencyjournal.ge/abdominal-pain/, Pub Status: Published
Conference Presentations
Esebua, L. G. (July 2021). Interventional Approaches for Cancer-related Abdominal and Pelvic Pain [Conference Presentation]. Project ECHO, Reno, NV, United States
Esebua, L. G. (October 18-21, 2017). How to Keep Up to Date with the Medical Literature [Conference Presentation]. Central European Emergency Medicine, Lublin, Poland
Sulinger, N., Esebua, L. G., Gocadze, G., Lursmanashvili, P. (March 1-4, 2017). Emergency Medicine Residency Programs in Georgia: History And Experience [Conference Presentation]. 25th Winter Conference on Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care, Karpacz, Poland
"I would especially commend the physician who, in acute diseases, by which the bulk of man kind are cut off, conducts the treatment better than others."
HIPPOCRATES