balloon kyphoplasty

[stevej37]

Anyone else have this procedure done?
I'm scheduled for Tuesday.

[A930Rocket]

Does it involve a clown?






Sorry

[stevej37]

^^^ I prob won't care!

Kyphoplasty is where they cut an opening in your back and pump some cement in.

A 50 lb. bag of redi-mix should do the job!

[Steve Carlton]

How bad is it now and what's your prognosis?

[stevej37]

fracture of two vertebrae....Dr said I will walk out after 1.5 hrs and be pain free.

[masraum]

Prayer and crossed fingers that the Dr is right!

Ice fishing injury?

[stevej37]

^^^ thanks.
In the past two weeks I have had ordinary x-rays, cat-scan, mri, ekg, and tomorrow covid and mrsa tests followed by isolation before the surgery....fun..fun..fun.

[Crowbob]

Best wishes to you, my friend.

[stevej37]

The ortho surgeon that's doing it ....looks like a rock band singer...long hair, in his 20's,tats.
Highly regarded.
Times have changed...

[otto_kretschmer]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^ I prob won't care!

Kyphoplasty is where they cut an opening in your back and pump some cement in.

A 50 lb. bag of redi-mix should do the job!

"I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer"

[stevej37]

The Dr said to plan on 1.5 hrs from start to walk out.
The only precaution I need to take is being careful of the stitches for a couple days.

[Bill Douglas]

I googled it. It sounds fantastic. Best of luck with it Steve.

[Geronimo '74]

No idea about what this is, but I wish you all the best.

[stevej37]

^^^ Thanks.
It's a fairly new procedure..I think.
The alternative is bolts and nuts to firm everything up...but the recovery from that is months.
He said using hardware is a last choice...when nothing else works.

[87maniac]

Last time i was told
"Dr said to plan on 1.5 hrs from start to walk out."

I was in recovery/hospital for 5 days.

really wish I coulda called that one back.

[stevej37]

He said a half hour of that time is spent by him watching the cement cure. It is critical that the cement doesn't 'overflow' out of the vertebrae.

The pain has increased to the point that I can hardly sit. Driving is very hard to do.
Sleeping is easy...no weight on the vertebrae.

[gchappel]

Our group does several of these a day.
It will take your pain from a 10 to a 2 in an hour.
Pain is not gone, but much much better.
Complications are rare.
Statistically you will have a great outcome.
Good luck
gary

[stevej37]

^^^ Thanks....I was hoping to hear from someone with first hand knowledge. (from the inside)
I will report the results.

[PorscheGAL]

All I can add is: I wish you luck and that you find relief. That is one procedure that creeps me out to watch.

[stevej37]

^^^ I agree. With all the important stuff running through there..it's something I hate to think of being worked on.
The alternative is the pain and lifestyle change.

Biking is a big part of my life and it was getting to be nearly impossible with the pain.