Indications for Balloon Kyphoplasty surgery include:

  • Vertebral Compression Fractures due to osteoporosis
  • Vertebral Compression fractures caused by weakened bones in patients with diagnoses such as Metastatic cancer, kidney disease, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma
  • Severe pain and deformity related to a vertebral fracture that is unrelieved by conservative treatments such as pain medications and bracing

Your surgeon will perform the following:

The surgery is performed under sterile conditions in the operating room with the patient under general or local anesthesia and lying face down on the operating table.

  • Your surgeon will make 2 very small incisions over the fracture site
  • A balloon catheter is inserted through the incisions and into the body of the affected vertebra
  • The balloons are inflated with a liquid, under guidance by fluoroscopic x-ray, inside the collapsed vertebra. This creates a cavity and helps restore the vertebra to its pre-fracture height and alignment
  • The surgeon then deflates and removes the balloons leaving an open cavity
  • Bone cement is then inserted through the catheters into the open cavity
  • Once the cement is carefully placed, the catheters are removed and the cement will harden in minutes

Postoperative Care

Many patients feel immediate pain relief following Balloon Kyphoplasty surgery. Others may take a few days or weeks before showing improvement.

  • You will be allowed to get up and walk once you awaken
  • Normally you will stay in the hospital overnight, however some patients go home the same day
  • Pain medication will be given to make you comfortable for the first few days
  • You will be restricted from heavy lifting or strenuous activities for the first 6 weeks
  • A postoperative rehabilitation program may be prescribed by your doctor to strengthen spinal muscles after two weeks

Risks and complications

As with any major surgery there are potential risks involved. The decision to proceed with the surgery is made because the advantages of surgery outweigh the potential disadvantages. It is important that you are informed of these risks before the surgery takes place. Complications can be medical (general) or specific to spinal surgery.