Lumbar radiofrequency ablation cost in New Orleans, LA
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 7 hospitals list a cash price for radiofrequency ablation of facet joint nerves, lower back, one level: from $637.70 to $1,498.23, with a median of $850.64. The lowest listed price is at Touro Infirmary — $212.94 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $930.52 at 10 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 3 cities for code 64635, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jun 24, 2026 and Jul 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touro Infirmary lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Destruction Lower or Sacral Spinal Facet Joint Nerve Using Imaging Guidance | $637.70 | $4,555.00 | $1,775.00–$862.00 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 Destruction Lower or Sacral Spinal Facet Joint Nerve Using Imaging Guidance | $850.64 | $6,076.00 | $1,215.20–$644.06 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA Destruction Lower or Sacral Spinal Facet Joint Nerve Using Imaging Guidance | $850.64 | $6,076.00 | $1,215.20–$644.06 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA Destruction Lower or Sacral Spinal Facet Joint Nerve Using Imaging Guidance | $850.64 | $6,076.00 | $1,215.20–$644.06 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Destruction Lower or Sacral Spinal Facet Joint Nerve Using Imaging Guidance | $1,010.40 | $6,315.00 | $1,142.00–$728.75 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 Destruction Lower or Sacral Spinal Facet Joint Nerve Using Imaging Guidance | $1,018.60 | $4,630.00 | $10,000.00–$4,630.00 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 Destruction Lower or Sacral Spinal Facet Joint Nerve Using Imaging Guidance | $1,498.23 | $5,549.00 | $1,570.92–$6,907.00 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $637.70, median $850.64, highest $1,498.23 — a 2.3× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 7 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 7 it is below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
Radiofrequency ablation uses heat to disable the small nerves that carry pain from lower back facet joints, using imaging to guide the needle.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the injection and imaging guidance. The steroid or other medicine may be billed separately.