Falls, trauma and chronic osteoporosis can often lead to vertebral fractures. Because one can lead to another, severely impacting the ability to move and cause substantial pain, we want to diagnosis and treat these fractures as quickly as possible.
As with all acute conditions, my goal is to treat vertebrae fractures minimally invasively. A great tool that can provide a permanent fix for many of my patients is balloon kyphoplasty, also called vertebral augmentation. This outpatient procedure has been proven to dramatically reduce or eliminate pain, maximize mobility and improve quality of life.
Performed either in-office or in an outpatient surgical center, it requires only a small incision in the back. The patient is comfortable thanks to local anesthesia. During the procedure, I create an opening in the collapsed vertebra with a small “balloon” which is then filled with bone cement. The hardened cement then stabilizes the fracture and alleviates pain in 90 percent of patients.
