12 Jul Vertebroplasty: A Minimally Invasive Procedure for Back Pain
Back pain isn’t any fun. When it’s attributable to a fractured or compressed vertebrae, it may possibly be completely debilitating. The excellent news is that treatments can be found. One such treatment is often called vertebroplasty. Vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that provides pain relief to many patients.
We could be glad to debate vertebroplasty with you. When you are experiencing back pain that you just consider is perhaps because of a fractured or compressed vertebrae, make an appointment to see us in our Weatherford, TX office.
When Vertebrae Collapse or Fracture
What we call the backbone is definitely made up of multiple smaller bones called vertebrae. In between the vertebrae are discs that provide flexibility and shock absorption. When all is working well, the spine functions because it should and an individual feels normal. But should a number of vertebrae weaken to the purpose of collapse or breaking, things change.
A compressed or fractured vertebrae results in spinal column compression. Consequently, pressure is placed on surrounding nerves. That pressure is what causes the pain. Vertebroplasty is a treatment designed to directly address the vertebrae in query. By stabilizing the vertebrae, nerve pressure and pain are relieved.
Injecting Bone Cement
We pain medicine specialists wish to discuss vertebroplasty in medical terms. But we all know that you just prefer a more easy explanation. In essence, vertebroplasty involves injecting bone cement into the damaged vertebrae. The cement fills all of the cavities throughout the bone before hardening.
Once hardened, the cement stabilizes the bone and relieves pressure. As previously stated, relieving pressure on the encompassing nerves also relieves back pain. The patient enjoys long-term pain relief with little or no risk of complications or unwanted effects.
For the record, vertebroplasty has been utilized to alleviate back pain for a few years. It has proven to be a protected and effective treatment for patients with vertebrae fractures, especially those for whom more traditional treatments haven’t worked.
An Outpatient Procedure
Vertebroplasty is an outpatient procedure performed right within the doctor’s office. The patient lies on an exam table, face down, and is given an area anesthesia to make needle insertion more comfortable. The actual procedure might be commenced once the anesthesia has had time to numb the realm.
A needle is inserted through a small incision within the skin and guided to the affected vertebrae using medical imaging. It’s then inserted directly into the affected bone to facilitate bone cement injection. That’s it. The needle is removed, the incision bandaged, and the patient given time to rest and get well.
Patients can normally leave the office inside 30-60 minutes. Some return to normal activities instantly while others take the rest of the day to rest. Either way, one among the massive benefits of vertebroplasty is that patients don’t need weeks to get well.
Immediate Relief for Most Patients
One other big advantage vertebroplasty offers is immediate pain relief. Usually, patients notice significantly less pain as soon because the bone cement hardens. As an additional advantage, the newly stabilized vertebrae are less more likely to experience additional compression or stress fractures.
After all, vertebroplasty is significantly less invasive than more traditional surgical treatments. That makes it ideal for people for whom surgery could be unfavorable or inappropriate. As for potential risks, there are only just a few related to the procedure.
The largest risk is the chance of infection. Nevertheless, infection is a risk common to all kinds of injections. It is generally not a giant deal for vertebroplasty patients. Patients concerned about infection should confer with their doctors about it before agreeing to the procedure.
