Collin County Living Well Magazine Fall 2014 | Page 16
Back to a Healthier Lifestyle
Procedure Offers Relief for Patients with Fractured Vertebrae
Balloon Kyphoplasty Features Numerous Benefits
Y
By Adrian Moger, MD
ou were getting out of bed and suddenly felt
a “pop” and an intense amount of pain in
your back that nearly leaves you unable to
move. Osteoporosis has caused your bones
to become so weak and brittle that everyday
activities, such as walking, sleeping and getting out of bed,
become more difficult than usual. The back pain is caused
by small fractures in the spine, also known as vertebral
compression fractures (VCF).
Most VCFs are caused by osteoporosis, a disease that
causes bones to become brittle and break easily. Osteoporosis, often called the “silent disease” because bone
loss occurs without symptoms, threatens approximately
44 million Americans, or 55% of the people 50 years old
and older, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Ten million people have the disease and 34
million more are estimated to have the low bone
mass that places them at risk for the disease.
If not prevented or if left untreated,
osteoporosis can progress painlessly
as bones gradually break down,
until a bone breaks. These
broken bones occur typically
in the spine, hip, and wrist.
People may not even know
they have osteoporosis until
their bones become so weak that a
sudden strain, bump or fall causes an
injury such as a VCF.
A VCF can cause severe back pain. Left
untreated, one VCF can lead to multiple fractures which can cause kyphosis - a serious
health condition marked by forward curvature of the upper back, commonly called a
“dowager’s hump.” This condition can lead to
a host of health problems including loss of appetite, sleeping problems, difficulty in breathing, and an increased risk of death.
Traditional treatment for VCFs is limited
to bed rest, bracing and pain management,
often through narcotics. While these therapies may help to decrease a patient’s pain
over time, they do not treat the deformity
related to osteoporotic fractures. If left untreated, the
curvature caused by VCFs becomes more pronounced,
painful and debilitating.
However, vertebral compression fractures can be treated. Balloon kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure, is
designed to treat the fracture and can significantly reduce
back pain, correct spinal deformity and improve quality of
14
Collin County Living Well Magazine • Fall 2014
life. Over one million patients worldwide have been treated
with balloon kyphoplasty.
The benefits of this procedure include:
• Significant reduction in back pain
• Significant improvement in quality of life
• Significant improvement in mobility
• Significant improvement in ability to perform
daily activities
What is Involved in
Balloon Kyphoplasty?
Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive
treatment for VCFs. With a hollow instrument, the
surgeon creates a small pathway through a tiny
incision (approximately one centimeter in length)
into the fractured bone. A small orthopedic balloon is then guided through the
instrument into the vertebrae. The
balloon is then carefully inflated in
an effort to raise the collapsed
vertebra and return it to its
normal position.
Once the vertebra is in
the correct position, the balloon is deflated and removed,
creating a cavity within the vertebral body. The cavity is filled with a
special cement to support the surrounding bone and prevent further collapse. The
cement forms an internal cast that holds the
vertebra in place.
Balloon kyphoplasty can be done under
local or general anesthesia. Typically the
entire procedure takes less than one hour
per fracture treated and may require an
overnight hospital stay.
Patients notice a significant reduction in
the number of days where pain interferes
with their daily activities. Most patients are
very satisfied with
this procedure and
are able to gradually
resume normal activities shortly after
they are discharged from the hospital.
For more information about balloon
kyphoplasty, please contact Adrian
Moger, MD. He may be reached by
calling 972-599-9328.