Kyphoplasty
If you’re in pain due to a spinal compression fracture, kyphoplasty may improve your quality of life. This procedure at Montage Health stabilizes the broken vertebrae (spine bone). Treatment is minimally invasive, so it doesn’t use a large incision and lets you recover sooner than traditional surgery.
Preparing for treatment
An interventional radiologist will determine if kyphoplasty is a good option for you. This doctor specializes in using imaging technology to perform minimally invasive procedures.
Don’t eat or drink anything the evening before your kyphoplasty procedure.
Day of balloon kyphoplasty
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Change into a hospital gown
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Receive an intravenous (IV) line for fluids and medications
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Meet your doctor to discuss the procedure
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Go to the procedure suite, where your care team will attach sensors to monitor your vital signs
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Receive either conscious sedation (to relax you and prevent pain) or general anesthesia (to make you sleep and prevent pain)
How kyphoplasty works
An interventional radiologist will then:
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Place a small needle into your fractured bone under the guidance of X-ray images
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Insert a tiny balloon through the needle and inflate it to restore the height of the collapsed bone
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Deflate the balloon and inject bone cement into the spine to stabilize and strengthen the bone
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Remove the needle and cover the incision with a dressing
Your care team will monitor you for several hours as you recover. You may go home the same day or after a short hospital stay. Look forward to rapid relief from back pain.
After treatment
Avoid heavy lifting or strenuous activity for several weeks. You may take over-the-counter pain relievers to ease discomfort at the incision site, and it should feel better in a few days.
Follow-up care
After a spine compression fracture, you’re at risk for more fractures. Ask your doctor how to reduce your risk. If you need another kyphoplasty surgery, rely on us for excellent care.
