Vesselplasty is a surgical alternative in the treatment of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). It is an image-guided procedure that requires conscious sedations and either general or local anesthesia. Vesselplasty is a latest minimally invasive procedure that increases mobility and reduces the pain of patients’ with vertebral compression fractures by restoring the height of compressed vertebrae.
Contents
It is an alternative to vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty—two conventional VCF treatment methods—that solves the problem of leakage of cement out of the vertebral body, which can happen during both vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.
Procedure
The main purpose of Vesselplasty is to reduce pain and hospital staying because it is a minimal invasive procedure. Patients usually go home the same day as the procedure. Vesselplasty is generally performed by a spine surgeon or interventional radiologist.
With the patient placed under general or local anesthesia, the procedure is performed under C-arm imaging. The correct (damaged) vertebrae are identified for the procedure. Using a bone access needle the vertebra is drilled in order to make a channel through the vertebral arch pedicle. This channel is used to deliver the PTFE bag within which the injected bone cement will reside. Once the bag is introduced, acrylic bone cement is injected until the vertebrae is judged to be restored to its near original height.
Virtues
Vesselplasty solves the potentially fatal problem of cement leakage out of the vertebral body and into the spinal canal, which can occur with vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. Otherwise, this treatment has the same benefits as these procedures in terms of a minimal invasive technique and the potential to relieve pain instantly in conjunction with a short hospital stay.
Criticism
Vesselplasty is subject to similar problems as vertebro and kyphoplasty. There are multiple techniques to master within the overall procedure, and the training period is not short. Surgeons needs to fully understand this process and to be well-familiar with any possible reactions of and to the cement mixture. Viscosity, injection time, and filling of the vessel need to be observed simultaneously under image intensification.