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Nonsurgical Vertebroplasty Treatment Is Effective Pain Treatment for Vertebral Compression Fractures Caused by Osteoporosis or Bone Tumors
Vertebroplasty procedure is a pain treatment for vertebral compression fractures that fail to respond to conventional medical therapy, such as minimal or no pain relief with analgesics or narcotic doses that are intolerable. Vertebroplasty treatment is nonsurgical procedure performed by SDI Interventional Radiologists using imaging guidance, stabilizes the collapsed vertebra with the injection of medical-grade bone cement into the spine. The vertebroplasty procedure results in reduced pain, and can prevent further collapse of the vertebra, thereby preventing the height loss and spine curvature commonly seen as a result of osteoporosis. After vertebroplasty treatment, there is often a dramatic decrease in pain within hours of the procedure. Vertebroplasty treatment provides long-term pain relief and has a low complication rate. If the vertebra isn't supported by bone cement using the vertebroplasty procedure, it can resulting in abnormal healing in a compressed or flattened wedge shape. Once this occurs, the compression fracture cannot be treated effectively. It is very important for someone with persistent spinal pain lasting more than three months to consult an interventional radiologist, and people who require constant pain relief with narcotics should seek help immediately. About Vertebroplasty Procedure Vertebroplasty procedure was first performed in Europe in 1984 to treat vertebral compression fractures caused by bone cancer or bone metastasis, and later to treat vertebral compression fractures caused by osteoporosis. Image guided percutaneous vertebroplasty was introduced in the United States in 1994 and has become widely available since 1997 as a treatment for pain associated with vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis. The vertebroplasty procedure has been shown to provide continued pain relief for osteoporotic compression fractures. Once study reported patients had rapid and complete pain relief in more than 90 percent of osteoporotic fractures. The follow-up in this patient population ranged from one month to 10 years with evidence of prolonged pain relief. Vertebroplasty procedure is now a standard treatment for vertebral compression fractures as more patients and physicians become aware of the new advances in interventional radiology. Vertebroplasty treatment is an outpatient procedure using X-ray imaging and conscious sedation. The interventional radiologist inserts a needle through a nick in the skin in the back, directing it under fluoroscopy (continuous, moving X-ray imaging) into the fractured vertebra. The physician then injects the medical-grade bone cement into the vertebra. Vertebroplasty takes from one to two hours to perform depending on how many bones are treated. The cement hardens within 15 minutes and stabilizes the fracture, like an internal cast. The patient will require a short recovery period and monitoring by our nursing staff but will go home the same day. If you think you may be a candidate for this nonsurgical vertebroplasty procedure, contact an SDI Interventional Radiologist at (813) 348-6960 or click here and fill out our online form. |