Disabling back pain, difficulty breathing, decreased lung capacity, leg weakness, paralysis and deformity. These are all symptoms of kyphosis – a debilitating disease that affects thousands of Americans each year. This condition is characterized by a forward rounding of the back that leads to a hunchback or slouching position. It can occur at any age and can prevent the individual from being able to complete simple daily tasks.
Fortunately, Dr. Tajul Chowdhury and the team at Center for Pain Management in Edinburg, Texas offer Rio Grande Valley residents a minimally invasive treatment for this painful condition. Kyphoplasty surgery is a procedure that stabilizes the bone in vertebral compression fractures and restores some of the lost vertebral body height. “The conditions that can be treated with this procedure are compression fractures of the vertebral body due to trauma, osteoporosis and metastatic cancer, mostly T5 through L5,” explained Dr. Chowdhury.
Kyphoplasty involves making a small incision in the back by inserting a narrow tube and guiding it to the fractured area of the vertebrae. Advanced imaging is then used to insert a special balloon through that vertebra. This balloon is inflated to return the fractured pieces of the spine to a normal position and to 
create a cavity that “decompresses” that lost vertebral height. A cement-like material is injected inside that cavity to keep the bone in the restored position. Kyphoplasty involves complicated techniques and should only be conducted by highly trained physicians.
Patients undergoing kyphoplasty should immediately experience pain relief and will soon realize that they need less pain medication. This procedure also lowers the risk for deep vein thrombosis. “Pain relief will be immediate in some patients, while in others elimination or decreased pain will take a few days,” said Chowdhury. “Patients will be able to return to their normal daily activities, but should avoid heavy lifting for at least six weeks.”
Center for Pain Management has been the leading pain management clinic in the Rio Grande Valley for over 20 years. Its founder and leading physician, Dr. Tajul Chowdhury, has over 30 years of combined experience in anesthesia and comprehensive and interventional pain. After graduating with an M.B.B.S. from Rajshahi Medical College in Bangladesh, he completed additional training at Boston University and Harvard Medical School. He established Center for Pain Management to help patients manage pain resulting from herniated disks, cancer, work injuries, diabetic neuropathies, arthritis and failed surgeries.
Dr. Chowdhury offers some of the most innovative treatments in the field to help his patients continue on with their daily lives. “The way I define success is helping my patients live a better quality of life,” explained Chowdhury. Kyphoplasty helps patients with limited options get back to their regular lives. The ideal candidates for this surgery have symptoms such as low back pain, a decline in bone density and muscle strength, difficulty breathing, pressure sores and side effects from extended narcotic use.
Patients can expect almost a 100 percent success rate from this minimally invasive procedure that carries very little risk. The team at Center for Pain Management finds it very rewarding to see young patients being able to play sports again or elderly individuals being able to spend time with their family as a result of this procedure. Kyphoplasty surgery is just another example of how the team lives up to their mission of helping Rio Grande Valley residents live a better quality of life by managing their pain.
