Community Corner

Medical Procedure Gives Westfielder 'New Lease on Life'

For Octavia S., 67, of Westfield, even something as routine as grocery shopping had become impossible due to two crushed vertebrae.

After undergoing a heart transplant in 2004, Octavia was prescribed large doses of the steroid prednisone, which she said robbed her of much-needed calcium and worsened her osteoporosis. The condition became so debilitating she was unable to walk.

Following five months of excruciating pain and sleeping upright in a chair, Octavia learned about a procedure called Balloon Kyphoplasty, which she hoped could return her vertebrae to their normal position. Octavia's doctors referred to Dr. Suken Shah of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, who performed the procedure which treats spinal fractures by using an orthopedic balloon.

After making small incisions, Shah used a needle and cannula to create a small pathway into the fractured vertebral body. From there, a small balloon is inflated inside of the fractured bone to lift and return it to the correct position. This newly-created cavity is filled with thick bone cement to stabilize the fracture.

"I arrived at Dr. Shah's office crying and in a wheelchair and I left doing a little jig," Octavia said. 

While she was hopeful for "a good outcome," the Westfielder said she never anticipated that she'd be walking and grocery shopping the next day.

"This gave me a new lease on life," she said. "Having a baby was nothing compared to the pain I was in. I couldn't even get myself a drink of water."

Shah, of Montville, said Octavia's results are not atypical. Since 2006, the doctor said he has been performing the procedure on patients who suffer from osteoporosis, which causes more than 700,000 spinal fractures each year in the U.S., according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, and other conditions that may have led to spinal fractures.

"We can perform the procedure in an hour," Shah said. "Most (patients) go home the same day. We've seen some pretty dramatic results, especially with compression fractures. It's night and day."

Shah said the procedure is great because it not only eliminates pain but it also prevents further collapse of vertebrae and additional height loss. Within hours, patients have been able to return to the activities of daily life.

Octavia said she wanted to spread the word about the life-altering results of the procedure because those suffering from osteoporosis or spinal compression fractures should know help is available.

"I wouldn't hesitate to do it again," she said.

For more information on Balloon Kyphoplasty, call 1-888-953-1234
or visit the website Stop Spinal Fracture Pain.com to learn more about the procedure. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here