to respond to conventional medical therapy with minimal or no pain relief with analgesic medication, or patients that
can't tolerate necessary narcotic doses. Percutaneous Vertebroplasty is a non-surgical treatment performed using
imaging guidance that can stabilize the collapsed vertebra. This is usually done under mild sedation and local
anesthesia, and with the injection of medical-grade bone cement into the collapsed vertebral level(s) via two injection
needles.
This procedure can improve pain, and can prevent further collapse of the vertebra, thereby preventing the height loss
and spine curvature commonly seen as a result of compression fractures secondary to osteoporosis. Vertebroplasty
dramatically improves back pain within hours of the procedure, provides long-term pain relief and has a low
complication rate as demonstrated in multiple studies.
The procedure will be performed with the patient in prone position and after injection of local anesthetic to numb the
skin, subcutaneous tissues, and the surface of the spine. Two needles will be advanced into the spine using live X-ray
guidance. After the needle positions are confirmed, and reconfirmed with fluoroscopic imaging, medical grade cement
will be slowly injected inside the vertebra; again under live X-ray to visualize and control the spread of the material. The
patient's vital signs will be controlled during the entire procedure. The procedure might take approximately one hour.
After the end of the procedure, The patient will be taken to the recovery room and observed for 2 hours. A nurse will
review the discharge instructions with the patient before discharge.
