Interventional Treatments For Back Pain and Injury
Interventional Associates treats and diagnoses back pain, using a variety of outpatient interventional procedures in all hospital locations. The procedures we perform include Vertebroplasty, Kyphoplasty, Discograms and Discectomies.
Chronic and acute back pain can result from causes such as compression fractures, disc herniations and degenerative diseases. Vertebral compression fractures are most often a result of osteoporosis, and symptoms are often severe. Compression fractures can also be caused by bone tumors in the spine.
Until recently, reducing physical activity and pain medication, or sometimes (often unsuccessful) back surgery were typically prescribed for compression fractures. Now, however, interventional radiologists offer these minimally-invasive, non-surgical procedures to alleviate the pain and collapse of compression fractures.
Please contact us or call our main office at 610-275-8346 to determine if you may be a candidate for one of the following treatments we provide:
Vertebroplasty has been shown to be highly effective in reducing pain and preventing further destabilization of the collapsed vertebra. Multiple studies have shown that Vertebroplasty improves back pain within hours of the procedure, provides long-term pain relief and has a low complication rate.
Vertebroplasty is an outpatient procedure. Vertebroplasty is generally done using X-ray imaging and conscious sedation, in an X-ray suite or an operating room. In Vertebroplasty, the Interventional Radiologist injects a bone cement directly into the fractured vertebra. Once in position, the cement hardens in about 10 minutes, congealing the fragments of the fractured vertebra and providing immediate stability.
Kyphoplasty is minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure performed under local or general anesthesia for patients suffering from painful vertebral compression fractures; the procedure is designed to reduce or eliminate back pain and prevent further collapse of the fracture, thus avoiding an increase in spinal deformity and progression of postural problems. In kyphoplasty:
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A balloon catheter, similar to the one used in angioplasty of the heart, is guided into the vertebra and inflated with a liquid under pressure. |
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As the balloon inflates, it can help to actively restore the collapse in the vertebra due to the fracture and can also correct abnormal wedging of the broken vertebra. |
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Once the balloon is maximally inflated, it is deflated and removed, and the large cavity created is filled with bone cement. |
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The cement then hardens in place, maintaining any correction of collapse and wedging. |
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Kyphnoplasty can be performed as an outpatient procedure. |
Kyphoplasty should be considered as a treatment option for patients with moderate to severe back pain and/or deformity resulting from compression fractures. In the majority of cases, patients have weak bone (also known as low bone density, osteopenia, or osteoporosis) because of age-related bone loss. Younger patients who may benefit from Kyphoplasty are those with vertebral compression fractures due to other diseases that have weakened their spine, including Multiple Myeloma, Lymphoma, Kidney disease, Metastatic carcinoma.
Kyphoplasty is effective when there is severe collapse of the broken vertebra or wedging, with more collapse in the front of the spine than the back resulting in the spine tending to tilt forward. By correcting the wedging, kyphoplasty may help restore the spine to a more normal alignment and prevent severe kyphotic (“hunchback”) deformity to the spine. In someone who has had multiple fractures with previous wedging, kyphoplasty can prevent further worsening of the deformity.
Discograms are procedures used to diagnose neck, back or leg pain. A discogram is an imaged guided examination of the intervertebral discs, performed by injecting dye into into the disc space between two vertebrae. The dye makes the disc clearly visible on the screen, so that the physician may determine which disc(s) are damaged and if those discs are causing pain. Discograms are performed by Interventional Radiologists under local anesthetic at all our hospital locations.
A Discectomy is a minimally invasive procedure used to remove herniated disc material. Under image guidance, Interventional Radiologists insert a catheter between the vertebrae into the herniated disc space through a small puncture in the back. Small instruments are used to remove portions of the herniated disc. The structure of the supporting disc is not affected by the procedure. Upon completion, the catheter is removed leaving a tiny incision. Discectomies are effective treatments for herniated discs and avoid the risks typically associated with conventional, open lumbar disc surgery and patients are typically discharged the same day. We perform discectomies at all hospital locations.
