BGS Global Hospitals performs PINHOLE SPINE SURGERY on osteoporosis patient
Pinhole spine surgery an innovative alternative to open spine surgery - Old patient is saved from painful spinal deformity - Patient is conscious during procedure and able to walk post-surgery
Tweet-- BGS Global Hospitals, Bangalore, announced the successful outcome for an aged osteoporosis patient using innovative pinhole spine surgery.
Case summary: 75 years old Akkamma was bedridden for over 3 months owing to spinal fractures. When she came to BGS Global Hospitals, Bangalore, she had severe back pain; X rays revealed that she had a fracture at two levels in the spinal column owing to osteoporosis. An open surgery was not advisable considering her advanced age. A pinhole (sutureless) spine surgery was performed successfully by a team of doctors: Dr. N. K. Venkataramana, Chief Neurosurgeon, Dr. Arun L Naik, Consultant Neurosurgeon and Dr. Ravindra Kambli, Interventional Neuro-radiologist at BGS Global Hospitals, Bangalore. The hospital has the required medical expertise, advanced technology and infrastructure to perform these procedures.
About spinal bone compression: Dr. Arun L Naik, Neurosurgeon, BGS Global Hospitals said, "Osteoporosis is the condition seen in old age wherein the calcium deposit in the bones is depleted causing soft or brittle bone causing bone fractures. Of these fractures, spinal bone compression fractures are the most common, affecting about 15,00,000 Indians every year. These fractures occur when the bone strength is reduced to the point that even minor trauma like a fall, sometimes even vigorous sneezing causes the vertebra to crush and bend. Compression fractures may cause spinal deformity, severe back pain and bed-ridden state as in Akkamma's case."
Innovative Kyphoplasty - pinhole surgery is the answer: Dr. N. K. Venkataramana, Chief Neurosurgeon and Vice-Chairman, BGS Global Hospitals added, "Traditional treatment of compression fractures has included bed rest, pain medications, bracing, and in some cases surgery. Surgical treatment consists of stabilizing spinal fractured bone with metallic rods and screws. This procedure is invasive and time consuming. As these patients are always old and fragile, many a time surgery is not possible. Moreover, as the bones are soft, screws subsequently loosen and pull out causing recurrent fracture. They require a treatment that would allow immediate pain relief, minimal stress on their health, and allow them to return to a near full level of activity.
The most recent surgical technique which has emerged is Kyphoplasty as a potential answer to the problems posed by osteoporotic compression fractures of the spine. There is improvement in pain in about 90% of patients soon after surgery."
What is Kyphoplasty: Kyphoplasty is a medical procedure that attempts to stop the pain caused by the bone fracture and attempts to restore the height and angle of kyphosis [hunchback] of a fractured vertebra (of certain types), followed by its stabilization using injected bone filler material.
Kyphoplasty, which is a pinhole surgical procedure allows for correction of the collapsed vertebra and decreases the risk of the patient becoming hunched over. It is a safer choice for patients who are suffering from osteoporotic compression fractures.
Advantages of Kyphoplasty - pinhole spine surgery
- Pinhole incision with little blood loss
- Fast recovery
- Less post-operative pain
- Minimal hospital stay
- Patient starts walking soon after surgery thereby preventing other complications associated with prolonged bed rest like clot formation in the legs, bed sores and further osteoporosis.
Pinhole surgery details
Dr. Arun L Naik said, "We performed a pinhole suture-less spine surgery (Kyphoplasty) to straighten the collapsed vertebra for Akkamma. Through this procedure we are able to totally avoid general anesthesia and perform the procedure safely under local anesthesia. She was conscious throughout the procedure. General anesthesia administered to patients at an advanced age could lead cardiac complications, post operative respiratory complications, etc. Moreover many patients by that age are not fit for general anaesthesia because of coexisting conditions like diabetes, hypertension and cardiac problems."
"The procedure performed in the state-of-the-art Cath Lab at BGS Global Hospitals began with a needle being introduced into the fractured vertebral body. After this, a small tube over the needle is inserted. Through this tube, a balloon tipped catheter was inserted into the broken vertebra. The balloon was slowly inflated under X-ray guidance. This caused increase in the vertebral height. More importantly, the balloon created a space in the bone as it inflated. Bone cement which is of 'tooth paste' like consistency was then injected into this space precisely at low pressure. This substantially reduces the risk of cement leaking out of the bone because cement is filled only inside the cavity created by the balloon. The bone cement is in fact harder than bone once it hardens in about ten minutes."
Post-surgery
Akkama had a marked improvement in pain and now walks with assistance. She is on active physiotherapy so that she can overcome weakness in limbs which has developed because of no mobility for a long period.
"Our strength lies in offering world-class services at an affordable price supported by state-of-the-art-infrastructure and latest diagnostic equipments. With pinhole spine surgery we now have an innovative answer for many more patients who could not have gone for traditional methods" according to Tanjai Kapoor, Senior Vice President Marketing, BGS Global Hospitals.
Notes to Editor
About BGS Global Hospitals
BGS Global Hospitals is part of the Global Hospitals Group in India that has total bed strength of over 2000 beds with centers in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. The hospital is a 500 bedded tertiary care super specialty hospital with state-of-the-art infrastructure, 14 well equipped Operation Theatres, 120 bedded Intensive Care Units and Level 1 Trauma Centre. Address: 67, Uttarahalli Main Road, Kengeri, Bangalore 560060, India. URL: www.globalhospitalsindia.com.