KIMS Kondapur doctors perform first Bone Stent on 65-year-old woman

Doctors hail the advanced procedure as a boon for elders who suffer falls

Hyderabad, 18th July 2023: Hyderabad reports its first-ever case of Vertebral Body Stenting on a 65 years old female, from Hyderabad, who suffered a fall. This procedure was done for the first time by Dr Krishna Chaitanya, a renowned spinal surgeon at KIMS Hospital, Kondapur. Before arriving to KIMS Hospital, the patient had not recognized the fracture that was caused due to the fall. Upon conducting a scan, Dr Krishna Chaitanya has recognized a fracture in her L2 vertebral bone and suggested Vertebral Body Stenting to ensure best recovery.

This highly advanced procedure helps cure osteoporotic fractures within no time. Doctors at KIMS Hospital, a leading multi-specialty hospital have taken the first step by performing Vertebral Body Stenting, a minimally invasive technique where a metal stent used to stabilize fractures. just like a cardiac stent.

Commenting on her condition, Dr. Krishna Chaitanya, consultant spine surgeon at KIMS Hospital said, "The patient suffered a fall at her home in June and had severe back pain, was unable to walk and was advised prolonged rest by a local doctor where she developed gastritis and breathlessness. She then consulted KIMS Gastroenterologist Dr Srujan and was referred to me for spinal evaluation where we diagnosed a fracture in her vertebral bone. Considering her condition, it was very risky to operate under an anesthesia and the procedure was planned under sedation. Since her bone height was reduced due to the fracture, a stent was sent to fix the bone.”

"This procedure is for elders who's vertebral bones have suffered osteoporotic fractures and other minor damages. The stent is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson Company. Usually the stent that is sent inside will be 80% in height of the bone. There are multiple options available according to the vertebral length of the patient. The patient has expressed her gratitude and has taken a turn to normalcy within a few hours post operation and started walking without any issues" explained Dr. Krishna Chaitnaya.

Advantages of Vertebral Body Stenting:

Talking about the benefits of this procedure, Dr Krishna Chaitanya said "the entire procedure is done in 20 minutes with no blood loss. In previous procedures, the operation would last for 3-4 of hours where screws are fixed to reduce the fracture and it also causes heavy blood loss and many months of recovery.

Whereas in Vertebral Body Stenting, a small needle goes inside the spine through which a stent is sent and it would spread across the bone and fix it in it's original position. For example, when a person has a spinal fracture, the bone height would reduce by 0.5mm-1cm. The stent would ensure the bone reaches the same height as before. There is also no pain involved in this procedure and the patient can easily walk within a few hours post operation.

Dr Krishna Chaitanya was preveleged to be invited as a faculty from India for world Osteoporotic Forum at Japan this year January to learn, and also to train other people the procedure. With advancements like this, it is very handy to manage complex surgeries and support the patient's overall recovery.