Health Matters

Spinal Talk

By Katie Ford Hall Cincinnati Woman Magazine

As we age, our bodies undergo a number of changes including changes to our spines, according to Dr. Jaideep Chunduri at The Beacon Spine Institute. In some situations, patients may develop Spinal Stenosis, the narrowing of the spaces in the spine. When the spaces narrow, the nerves around the spine can become tightened. Complicating this problem can be bulging disks, degenerative disks and arthritis. A common image of a person with stenosis, according to Dr. Chunduri, is an elderly woman hunched over pushing a shopping cart. The hunching actually creates the space and brings temporary relief. In the past, there was little doctors could do to treat these cases other than back braces or pain medication. But a company called Kyphon Inc. has revolutionized spinal stenosis treatment with innovative hardware and procedures. Dr. Chunduri is a leading expert in these procedures and one of very few surgeons trained to perform these procedures. Depending on the severity of symptoms, there are two options for surgery.

1. X-Stop_® Interspinous Process Decompression (IPD_®) is used for patients with mild to moderate symptoms. It is usually used on patients age 50 and over. Kyphon has created spacers in different sizes to match a person’s anatomy. Under local anesthesia, Dr. Chunduri will place the spacers in between the bones of the spine. The surgery usually lasts about an hour. While full recovery takes about ten weeks, a patient can resume some activities very quickly.

2. Kyphoplasty is used to treat patients with more severe symptoms. Generally a candidate for this surgery is age 65 or older and is suffering from osteoporosis with bone compression. Sometimes the compression can be so severe that the front part of the bone can crack. In this procedure, Dr. Chunduri place a small instrument called a cannula into the space. Then he inserts and inflates a balloon, opening up a space. Bone cement is used to fill in this space and is allowed to harden; offering a permanent solution. Dr. Chunduri says that 90% of patients experience good to excellent results from this operation.

To learn more about these innovative procedures, call Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at 513-354-3700, or visit them on the web at www.beaconortho.com. Information about the hardware used in these procedures is available from Kyphon, www.kyphon.com.