Doctors have performed the first vertebral stentoplasty in North India.
The rare procedure took place at Fortis Escorts, Okhla, and was performed on a 65-year-old woman who had suffered a spinal fracture after a fall at home.
She was diagnosed with a compression fracture of the L1 vertebra which led to acute pain and left her unable to stand or walk.
After a month of bed rest and medication there was no improvement and she was referred to the Fortis Hospital where she was admitted in the emergency unit under Dr Kaushal Kant Mishra, Director, Orthopaedics and Joint Replacement and Dr Ravindra Singh Bisht, Consultant, Spine Surgery.
Speaking in The Indian Express the doctors explained that during an evaluation of the patient it was observed that there was an osteoporotic compression fracture of the vertebra.
The patient also had a history of osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease and osteoarthritis.
Considering the risk factors, the doctors decided to perform a stentoplasty as the patient was in a lot of pain.
During the 25-minute surgery a stent was placed within the vertebral column and infused with bone cement.
The woman is now free from pain and can walk again.
Dr Mishra said: “Vertebral stentoplasty can be conducted under local anaesthesia like cardiac stenting.
“In stentoplasty, an expandable cage made of titanium is inserted into the collapsed or fractured vertebra.
“The cage is then expanded inside, lifting the collapsed bone and restoring the height.
“In this case, we left the stent inside the vertebra where chances of cement spill are minimal with reduced neurological complications.
“Additionally, the height of the vertebra improves. The surgery was performed in mere 25 minutes and the patient was discharged within a day.”
