What is Kyphoplasty Surgery?

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Kyphoplasty, also known as balloon vertebroplasty, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure most commonly used to treat compression fractures in the vertebra or correct kyphosis (abnormal spinal curvature). Kyphoplasty also helps to facilitate the bones that have become weak and fragile due to diseases like cancer or osteoporosis. During this procedure, a balloon is inflated inside the body of the vertebra, and a cement mixture is injected into the body of the vertebra for stabilizing the bone structure. 

Vertebroplasty is another similar procedure, but the difference is that there is no balloon inflation in vertebroplasty, so it cannot correct the height of the vertebra. In this article, let us tell you about kyphoplasty surgery in detail.

• Who is advised to get Kyphoplasty? 
• Who should avoid getting Kyphoplasty? 
• Goals of Kyphoplasty Surgery
• What is the procedure of Kyphoplasty? 
• How to take care after Kyphoplasty? 
• What are the complications of Kyphoplasty? 
• What are the results of Kyphoplasty?
• Who performs Kyphoplasty?
• What is the cost of Kyphoplasty in India?

Who is advised to get Kyphoplasty?

Kyphoplasty surgery is required when a person has compression fractures of the bones of the spine, called the vertebrae. The most common reasons for a compression fracture of the spine are osteoporosis and tumors, including multiple myeloma and vertebral hemangioma. The surgery is advised to be done as soon as possible, within a week of the fracture, for best results.

Vertebral compression fractures can present with the following symptoms: 

• Persistent back pain. ( Know more about- What is Back pain Surgery? )
• Eventual loss of height.
• Stiffness in the back. 
• Pain while standing or walking. 
• Relief from the pain while lying down or resting.
• Pain during any spinal movement 
• Hunchback posture
• Spinal deformity

Who should avoid getting Kyphoplasty? 

Some people are advised not to get a kyphoplasty procedure done. Your surgeon will do a detailed examination to determine whether you are fit for the surgery or not. Some of these conditions are mentioned below:

• Non-painful stable fractures
• Osteomyelitis (infection of the bone)
• Bleeding disorders
• Presence of the fracture segment of the tumor mass in the spinal canal. ( Know more about- What is Bone Fracture? )

Goals of Kyphoplasty Surgery

Your spine surgeon aims to achieve the following goals through a kyphoplasty surgery:

1. To reduce back pain( Know more about- What is Coccydynia (Tail bone ) pain ?). 
2. To stabilize the vertebrae 
3. To regain some or all of the vertebral height lost because of a compression fracture.

What is the procedure of Kyphoplasty? 

Before kyphoplasty, the doctor takes a detailed history and performs some tests to diagnose the patient’s condition. Some of these tests include –

• Blood tests
• X-ray
• MRI scan

Before starting the surgery, general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedatives are given to the patient intravenously. Apart from this, some medicines are given to prevent pain and vomiting. The surgery may take up to an hour, depending upon the number of vertebrae to be treated. 

• The doctor inserts a tube into the back through a small, half an inch incision. It is guided to the correct position with the help of a fluoroscope, which is a special type of X-ray, and a path is formed through the fractured vertebra to reach the body of the vertebra. 
• With the help of X-ray images, two needles along with their trocars are inserted into the body of the fractured vertebra through the pedicle that is the periphery of the bone.
• The balloon is carefully introduced in the body of the vertebra through the needle and is then inflated. It increases the height of the vertebra and creates space. Then the balloon is deflated and pulled out.
• A working space is created, and a special type of synthetic bone cement is administered into the newly formed space in the vertebra. The cement used is made up of PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate).
• The patient is kept on the OT (operation theater) table until the cement hardens, which takes about 5 minutes.
• The incision is very small, so it might not need any suturing.

How to take care after Kyphoplasty?

After surgery, the patient is shifted to another room, where the doctor monitors the patient’s blood pressure and heart rate. Some medicines are given to the patient in case of pain and nausea. The patient is kept in the hospital for at least two days for recovery. After this, the patient is discharged from the hospital. But after the surgery, doctors advise keeping some of the following points in mind. 

• After surgery, the patient should not do any physical activity. 
• Patients should avoid lifting heavy weights.
• The patient should rest as much as possible after the surgery. 
• Do not do any stretching exercises until six weeks after surgery. 
• Contact your doctor in case of pain and swelling in the back after surgery.
• Patients should get up from their position and take a brief 5-minute walk every 1 hour.

What are the complications of Kyphoplasty? 

Complications of kyphoplasty in the treatment of vertebral compression fractures are less than 2%. The following complications may occur after kyphoplasty –

• Leaking of the cement in the surrounding tissues
• Nerve pain (radiculopathy)
• Nerve injury causing paralysis.
• Blood clots
• Infection at the site of operation
• Pain in bones
• Sore throat ( Know more about- What to do to clean throat ? )
• Allergic reaction 

If you are experiencing any of these complications after surgery, talk to your doctor immediately. 

What are the results of Kyphoplasty?

• Vertebral compression fracture causes the bone to compress, especially in the front, and causes a wedged vertebra, which can be reversed by kyphoplasty.
• There can be slouching or hunchbacks due to the involvement of multiple bones. Kyphoplasty helps to regain the normal curvature of the back.
• Patients’ back pain has been seen to drop down from an average of 8.6 to 2.1 level on a scale of 1 to 10 about 3 months after surgery.
• Mobility and quality of life of patients have significantly improved.

Who performs Kyphoplasty?

Kyphoplasty procedure can be performed by:

• A neurosurgeon
• An orthopedic surgeon
• An interventional neuroradiologist
• A spinal surgeon

( Know more about- What is Physiotherapy? )

What is the cost of Kyphoplasty in India? 

The total cost of kyphoplasty surgery in India is around INR 3,00,000 to 5,00,000. The cost varies across different hospitals.

If you are coming from abroad, apart from the cost of treatment of kyphoplasty surgery, there will be an additional cost of staying in the hotel, the cost of living, and the cost of local travel. Apart from this, after surgery, the patient is kept for two days in the hospital and five days in the hotel for recovery. So, the total cost of kyphoplasty surgery in India comes to a total of around INR 8,00,000. 

We hope that we could answer your questions regarding Kyphoplasty through this article. 

If you want more information about Kyphoplasty and its treatment, contact the Orthopedic and Spine Surgeon. 

We aim to provide you with information through this article. We do not recommend any medicine or treatment to anyone. Only a doctor can give you the best advice and correct treatment plan.