Methods for targeted electrosurgery on contained herniated discs

A method of ablating tissue at a target site of an intervertebral disc having a contained herniation, the method comprising:

• a) providing an electrosurgical system including a probe, an introducer needle, and a power supply unit coupled to the probe, the probe having a shaft, the shaft including a distal end portion having at least one active electrode, the introducer needle having a lumen for accommodating axial movement of the shaft therein;
• b) advancing the introducer needle towards the intervertebral disc;
• c) passing the shaft distal end portion distally through the lumen of the introducer needle towards the disc, wherein the shaft distal end portion is positioned in the vicinity of the contained herniation;
• and
• d) applying a sufficient high frequency voltage between the at least one active electrode and at least one return electrode to generate plasma at the active electrode, the high frequency voltage selected for ablating disc tissue at the target site.