Orthopaedic & Spine Center Hosts Innovative Spinal Surgery

Dr. Sureja becomes first doctor in Virginia to use the Stryker TroFlex Curved Needle in Balloon Kyphoplasty.

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Jun 11, 2014, 09:00 ET

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., June 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Raj N. Sureja, MD, of Orthopaedic & Spine Center in Newport News, Virginia, recently became the first doctor in Virginia, and one of the first doctors in the U.S., to use the new Stryker TroFlex Curved Needle to treat a vertebral compression fracture (VCF) patient during a Balloon Kyphoplasty procedure. The minimally-invasive needle allows the physician to inject bone cement into the fractured vertebral body. The operation took place at OSC.

Balloon Kyphoplasty is used to treat painful compression fractures in the spine. Two trocar needles are inserted into the patient's fractured vertebra. Balloon catheters are inserted through the trocar needles and inflated to create a void in the collapsed vertebra, helping to control and contain cement delivery. The hardened cement creates an internal cast, stabilizing the fracture and alleviating pain.

Balloon Kyphoplasty is typically done in a hospital setting, but because of recent developments, including coverage by insurance companies and more sophisticated surgical kits, OSC physicians can now do this 30-minute procedure in their facility without general anesthesia. Patients are able to walk out of the office when released.

Dr. Sureja is an Interventional Pain Management Specialist experienced in treating compression fractures. He and Mark McFarland, MD, are the OSC physicians who do the procedure.

"Typically, my patients with VCF's are elderly people who are in severe pain," says Dr. Sureja. "As a result, they are not able to walk, take a deep breath or get a good night's sleep. The Stryker TroFlex Curved Needle helps me to do the Balloon Kyphoplasty procedure more quickly, be less-invasive and I can better place the bone cement more consistently throughout the vertebrae to stabilize the fracture."

About Orthopaedic & Spine Center:
Orthopaedic & Spine Center (http://www.osc-ortho.com), located in Newport News, Virginia, is a full-service state-of-the-art orthopedic practice with 24 patient exam rooms, three x-ray suites, a Lunar DPX Bone Densitometer Room, an Open Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Center and physical therapy services. OSC physicians have full staff privileges at Riverside Regional Medical Center and Mary Immaculate Hospitals, and active clinical staff privileges at Peninsula Surgery Center.

SOURCE Orthopaedic & Spine Center