Overview:
Kyphoplasty/Vertebroplasty is a treatment option for anyone diagnosed with vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis, cancers or hemangiomas (noncancerous blood vessel growths). Compression fractures are the most common diagnosis requiring kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty. This occurs when the bony block in the spine (vertebral body) collapses. A compression fracture typically causes severe pain immediately when it happens, but this pain can also persist for months to years after the fracture. This is a needle based procedure that typically does not even require general anesthesia (being put to sleep). The procedure itself takes roughly 30-45 minutes and then patients are allowed to return home with minimal restrictions.
Conditions commonly treated with kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty
- Osteoporosis compression fractures
- Hemangiomas – noncancerous blood vessel growths in vertebral body
- Cancerous tumors – cancer in the vertebral body
The Procedure:
Please arrive 20 minutes prior to your appointment on procedure day. Our nurses will start an IV if you are requesting sedation and take a pre-operative nurse assessment. All patients are taken to the procedure room on a hospital bed. Once in the procedure room you will be given sedation to help make you comfortable. A cold cleaning solution will be placed on your skin to help decrease chances of infection. The procedure site is then identified by your doctor under x-ray guidance. Once the site is identified a hollow needle will be placed under continuous x-ray guidance through the pedicle and into the vertebral body. A small balloon may then be inserted through the needle and slowly inflated under constant pressure monitoring. This may actually restore vertebral body height loss caused by the fracture. Once the vertebral body is in the correct position, the balloons are removed and the void is filled with acrylic bone cement. This cement serves as an internal cast to help restore vertebral body height and reduce pain. Some physicians believe the actual heat from the cement helps to deaden the nerves in the vertebral body and thus reduces pain as well. Once the procedure is finished the needle is removed and bandaids are placed over the needle site. The cement itself hardens within a matter of minutes and will be completely hardened prior to coming off the procedure table. Often times, only one needle placement is required. However, if your physician is unable to get satisfactory results with one needle placement, they may elect to place another needle. This insures proper spread of the cement mixture and thus complete “filling” of the compression fracture itself. Once the procedure is complete you will be taken to the recovery room and observed for 30 minutes.
What to Expect After the Procedure:
Once observed in the recovery room for at least 30 minutes you will be discharged home. There are no specific restrictions as the cement itself has already completely hardened prior to leaving the office. You may notice almost immediate pain relief, or it may take several days. Remember the injection site will be sore and can be treated with over the counter anti-inflammatories, ice packs and pain medications. The bandaids can be taken off within 24 hours. We advise patient do not submerge yourself in a bathtub for at least 24 hours. You may shower immediately if you wish. Exercising and healthy lifestyle is important. Many patients report an immediate return to activities that previously caused pain. You will be scheduled an office visit follow up in 3-4 weeks to discuss the results.