I have a history of compression fractures.

[murielm99]

They are painful and make it hard to lift anything. Some of you know as well that I am in remission from lung cancer. That is going well.

It is possible that I qualify for a kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that can help fix these fractures. I would be able to stand up straight again. The pain would go away, eventually, and I would have no more fractures in my back. I am having an MRI on the 23rd. Of course, all of this stuff scares the crap out of me. I worry about more cancer, even though my regular scans show me to be cancer free.

Has anyone else been through this for compression fractures? I am being a big sissy.

[XanaDUer2]

1. I haven't

But I'm pulling for you

[sheshe2]

2. I don't know a thing about it.

However...

[Mike 03]

3. My father underwent kyphoplasty, not for compression

fractures but for myeloma-related fractures to his back and it helped him immensely. I asked my mother for her recollections and she described as a minor procedure and she doesn't remember any complications, difficulties or side effects arising from it. He went through a period where he had a lot of medical procedures performed in a relatively short period of time, so in that context it was something that helped his pain level a lot.

Sorry I don't remember more specifics about the procedure. I truly hope you get some relief from your back issues.

Please let us know if you get this done and how it goes.

[Granny Blue]

4. Hey there, fellow spine patient! I'm a big chicken too!

I have no specific wisdom to impart, but I really think you should get a second opinion and possibly consider some physical therapy with a specialized spine therapist if available in your area. You may want to learn about the problem and the procedure, so here is the Merck manual for Consumers article:

Compression Fractures of the Spine
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/injuries-and-poisoning/fractures/compression-fractures-of-the-spine?query=balloon%20kyphoplasty

I’ve had a few minimally invasive procedures, and found them helpful. Make sure your surgeon does these all the time. Since your underlying problem is osteoporosis, I would look into physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around your spine, which hold your vertebrae in place, get a workup from a pain clinic for (non addictive) pain control, and get a second opinion on the surgery. Kyphoplasty will help the immediate problem, but the underlying problem is osteoporosis and kyphoplasty will not address that. The conservative route is a lot of work, but the results are worth it, IMHO! Good luck, I’ll be thinking good thoughts for you!