Kyphoplasty Procedure
What is Kyphoplasty?
Kyphoplasty, also known as Vertebroplasty, Vertebral Augmentation, or Balloon Vertebroplasty. It is a minimally invasive injection procedure done in the office under sedation to reduce or stop the pain caused by a spinal fracture, stabilize the bone with plexiglass, and restore some or all of the lost vertebral body height due to the compression fracture. The plexiglass typically takes about 60 minutes to fully harden. The injection normally hardens within an hour and most patients report a significant reduction of pain within a week or two.
What is the Kyphoplasty procedure like?
After the patient is sedated, needles are placed into the fractured vertebral body. A device creates channels in the fractured vertebral body to control the flow of the plexiglass. The plexiglass is then mixed and injected into the void within the fractured bone. The procedure normally takes about 30 minutes to one hour per vertebra involved. When the procedure is over the patient will likely only require a small bandage to protect the incision until it heals.
Is the Procedure Painful?
The patient is normally sedated during the procedure. Pain reduction generally begins within 10 days of the procedure as the patient’s body adjusts.
Before and After Kyphoplasty X-Rays
Before
After Procedure
Potential Benefits of a Kyphoplasty
- Rapid and sustained pain relief
- Increased mobility
- Improved quality of life
- Low complication rate
How do I find out if I am a candidate?
There are several factors in determining if you are a candidate. Having an appropriate recent compression fracture that responds to Kyphoplasty is the determining factor. Patients who are on blood thinning medications will require special consideration. Consult Arch Advanced Pain Management to see if this treatment is an option for you.
