Osteoporosis…The "Silent Disease"
Balloons for Bones – Balloon Kyphoplasty
Balloon Kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that treats
vertebral body compression fractures (VCF) which cause the bones
of the spine to collapse. Most VCFs are caused by Osteoporosis.
The result of a VCF is often debilitating back pain and a stooped
posture, which is often seen in the elderly. The new procedure,
Balloon Kyphoplasty is designed to provide rapid pain relief, stabilize
the fracture, and help straighten the spine.
Osteoporosis causes 700,000 VCFs in Americans each year – twice
as many as the more commonly recognized hip fractures. VCFs can
lead to health problems such as chronic pain, eating and sleeping
disorders, difficulty walking, and an increase risk of serious or
fatal lung disorders.
The new procedure offers benefits over traditional treatments such
as pain medications and back braces, which do not repair the fracture
and do not always relieve the pain. Balloon Kyphoplasty requires
only one hour of surgery time per fracture treated and can be performed
under local or general anesthesia. Length of stay for a patient
is usually one day.
The procedure:
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This is a vertebral compression
fracture.
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Through a small incision, the doctor
creates a narrow pathway into the
fractured bone and places a KyphX Balloon.
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The doctor inflates the KyphX Balloon,
attempting to raise the collapsed portion
of the bone.
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The KyphX Balloon is deflated and
removed,
leaving a defined cavity that can be filled with
approved bone void filler of the doctor’s choice.
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Mercy Health Partners is the only Muskegon
area hospital that provides this service. Orthopedic surgeons Yousif
Hamati and Dr. Mark Moulton perform the highly specialized procedure.
Patients from the Muskegon area, Grand Rapids, Livonia, and Traverse
City have traveled to Muskegon to be treated by the physicians.
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