Are there risks associated with Balloon Kyphoplasty?
Any type of surgery involves risk. Although the complication rate for Balloon Kyphoplasty is low, serious adverse events can occur, including: • Myocardial infarction (heart attack) • Cerebrovascular accident (stroke) • Pulmonary embolism (cement leakage that migrates to the lungs) • Cardiac arrest (heart stops beating) Other risks (relevant to the anatomy being treated with bone cement) include deep or superficial wound infection and leakage of cement into the muscle and tissue surrounding the spinal cord. Patients are encouraged to discuss these and other risks, with their physician.
