What Exactly is Kyphoplasty/Vertebroplasty?
Both Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty are techniques used for treating spinal compression fractures, which are small breaks in the thick mass of bone that make up the front part of the vertebra. The difference between the two techniques is virtually this: In a Vertebroplasty, a doctor injects a cement mixture into the bone to give it strength. In a Kyphoplasty, a doctor inserts and inflates a balloon to create an opening for the cement mixture. The balloon is removed after the cement is injected. Kyphoplasty is sometimes referred to as balloon vertebroplasty. These procedures can stabilize the fracture and relieve pain. They are also an attempt to restore the height of the vertebra, thereby straightening out the spinal curve. Each treatment can be administered as an outpatient procedure and both can relieve pain and improve mobility.
Efficiency
Kyphoplasty/Vertebroplasty usually provide pain relief and improved mobility within 48 hours of their respective procedure. All in all, if only one vertebra is being treated the treatment takes usually less than an hour. If your general health isn’t good, if there were any unforeseen complications, and if your procedure involved more than one vertebra, you may need to stay in the hospital overnight for monitoring.
In many cases, patients feel pain relief immediately. Again, in normal procedures patients can be released the same day and return to normal activities the following day. You may experience tenderness at the procedural site for a few days. Icing may help. Over the counter medications may also alleviate the temporary discomfort.
Are You A Candidate for Kyphoplasty?
These procedures can be effective in treating people whose bones are weakened by cancer or whose vertebrae collapse due to osteoporosis. Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are used to mend recent fractures. However, they aren’t used as a preventive technique, even for osteoporosis and are also not usually advised for herniated disks, back arthritis, or curvature of the spine due to scoliosis. These two procedures have not been extensively tested in younger, otherwise healthy people. The long-term effects of the bone cement aren’t known, so these procedures are generally reserved for mature patients.
Contact Michigan Pain Consultants Today
Talk with the professionals at Michigan Pain Consultants today about any of our effective treatments such as Kyphoplasty/Vertebroplasty for your spinal fractures due to osteoporosis.
Make an appointment for a new patient consultation with one of our board-certified pain physicians. All of Michigan Pain Consultant’s physicians are Board Certified in Anesthesiology or Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and have advanced training and experience in Pain Medicine. You can begin first by visiting online at MyLifeBeyondPain.com, MichiganPain.com, or by calling them at (800)281-3237.
With six locations throughout West Michigan, Michigan Pain Consultants comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to pain care offers patients and providers renewed hope for relief from chronic pain. Chronic pain should be treated like other chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or congestive heart failure. Chronic pain requires chronic treatment. The goal of the treatment is to optimize the management of the pain, as opposed to curing the pain.