Kyphoplasty

Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive spine surgery for vertebral compression fracture. M. Viktor Silver, MD, FACS, FRCS, is an experienced minimally invasive and complex spine neurosurgeon at Silver Spine & Neurological Center — Interventional Pain Management & Spine Surgery in Sherman, Greenville, and McKinney, Texas, who performs kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty procedures for these types of spine fractures. Most of his patients experience significant improvements immediately following surgery. Do you have back pain from a compression fracture? Call Silver Spine & Neurological Center — Interventional Pain Management & Spine Surgery today or schedule a consultation online to find out how kyphoplasty can help you.

What is kyphoplasty?

Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive spine surgery that fixes vertebral compression fractures, when the vertebral bone collapses in on itself. Anyone can get a vertebral compression fracture, but they most often affect people with osteoporosis.

With osteoporosis, your bones are porous and more susceptible to breaks, especially in the spine and hips. You may fracture a vertebral bone doing simple tasks like bending down to pick up your bag. These fractures may cause severe back pain that radiates into the arms or legs.

It’s not unusual for people with a compression fracture to dismiss their back pain as a normal part of aging. When left untreated, your single compression fracture may lead to more spinal fractures that affect the curve of your spine.

During kyphoplasty, Dr. Silver inflates a special balloon to restore the structure of the vertebral bone and then injects bone cement to maintain form. Vertebroplasty is a similar procedure for compression fractures, but only involves injecting bone cement. 

Am I a candidate for kyphoplasty?

Dr. Silver is an experienced minimally invasive and complex spine neurosurgeon who determines if you’re a candidate for kyphoplasty after a consultation. 

He may recommend the procedure if you have a compression fracture from osteoporosis, an injury, or cancer and continue to have pain after a couple of months of conservative care. 

Dr. Silver may not consider you a candidate for kyphoplasty if you have a spinal tumor or a bone fragment that’s traveled into the spinal canal. 

What happens during kyphoplasty?

Kyphoplasty is an outpatient procedure. Dr. Silver may administer a sedative before starting your surgery to help you relax.

While you lie facedown on the procedure table, your provider cleans your skin with an antiseptic agent and injects a local anesthetic to numb the area. Using fluoroscopic-guided imaging, Dr. Silver inserts a needle into the vertebral bone.

He guides a balloon into the bone, inflates it, and fills the open space with bone cement to prevent it from collapsing. 

What can I expect after kyphoplasty?

Most patients experience substantial improvement as soon as they wake up from their kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty procedure. However, avoid heavy lifting and strenuous physical activity for up to six weeks. 

Kyphoplasty reduces back pain and improves quality of life for those with vertebral compression fractures. Call Silver Spine & Neurological Center — Interventional Pain Management & Spine Surgery today or make an appointment with Dr. Silver using the online scheduling tool.