new balloons for kyphoplasty

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ParaVert

Interventional Pain
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Kyphon's patent for balloon-assisted cavity creation for vertebral augmentation expired this week. Stryker rep just brought by a demo of their balloons - look almost identical to Kyphon's system (they're even purple!) Kit comes with a single balloon and is priced like $2k less because of this.

Maybe too soon, but has anyone tried them yet?

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Kyphon's patent for balloon-assisted cavity creation for vertebral augmentation expired this week. Stryker rep just brought by a demo of their balloons - look almost identical to Kyphon's system (they're even purple!) Kit comes with a single balloon and is priced like $2k less because of this.

Maybe too soon, but has anyone tried them yet?

i ahve not tried them, but they were talking about the balloon...
i have officially gone away from the ballon.

last 30 i have done have been ballon-less.

dont think im going back
 
I used it last week and thought it was basically the same as Kyphon's balloon. The cost of Stryker's kyphoplasty kit makes the procedure viable outside of the hospital. I just used one balloon with unipedicular placement at T11 and swapped it between two trocars for bipedicular at L3.
 
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gonna try it out this weekend at their cadaver course in NJ, will keep you posted
 
T- I used it a couple weeks ago... Same thing for the most part, but I like their cement better. Heard the balloon is not as "durable", but it didnt pop when I used it. Not sure if it really matters anyway. I think the cement is probably more important than the balloon... Hey- we need to catch up. Im going to give you a call this weekend.- B
 
I have used the stryker kypho kit several times and with the new HV cement and without, and like it for the cost in the ASC. That aside, they have one balloon, 5ml and sell you on the unipedicular approach or if you prefer, place two needles then reinsert balloon and inflate again. The carefusion balloon is the same, but more sizes. So the Kyphon/Medtronic team flew in with their R&D squad to tell me about their new balloon, which is going to come out soon, 4th generation, stronger, can inflate to 700 psi, and is more durable and uniformly inflates as opposed to the old balloons which do not and often would form odd shapes in the vertebra....the new stryker balloons do this as well. Additionally, I think the medtronic biologics have helped them develop new cement with hydroxyapatite for better interdigitation, a new delivery system, and a possible set up for the cement that wont bind to the balloons such that you could fill while keeping one inflated to get the actual "height restoration" which they have been touting. Bottom line...it still costs more, and patients will likely get no better results than with vertebroplasty for pain control. Dupuy has the new confidence kit that has some nice cement for high viscosity, but is pricey and not sure I dig the delivery system. All together, I have used 7 different vert/kypho products this year, which should be an indication that the vert/kypho mkt is getting out of control despite the NEJM article.
 
i like the balloons and cement from stryker...

kyphon says the ballon is circular and thus could pop or whatever... i dont believe it...
 
Have not used it yet...the kyphoplasty procedure resulted in a $10 million fine to our local hospital due to the interventional radiologists, who perform more kyphoplasties than anyone else in the country, did not follow medicare guidelines in selection criteria. So I stick with vertebroplasty at that hospital because the administration is so freaked out about kyphoplasties now...
 
Anybody tried the Carefusion vertebro/kyphoplasty product? A rep just showed it to me. The unique selling point is the 'Avaflex' curved injection needle. It's supposed to allow a unipedicular approach for vertebroplasties. It also has an interesting cement mixing electric blender. I might try it later this month...
 
Have not used it yet...the kyphoplasty procedure resulted in a $10 million fine to our local hospital due to the interventional radiologists, who perform more kyphoplasties than anyone else in the country, did not follow medicare guidelines in selection criteria. So I stick with vertebroplasty at that hospital because the administration is so freaked out about kyphoplasties now...

Does your medical board get involved when "Physicians Gone Wild" gets beat down by CMS?
 
Sometimes. Recently a pain physician in Indiana was indicted by a grand jury for Medicare/Medicaid/Anthem fraud and his employee physician had his medical license revoked by summary suspension. The owner/doc had his DEA lifted but the state medical board is permitting him to continue practicing medicine until a September hearing....go figure. The physician with the indictment received $21,600,000 in payments from Medicare+Medicaid alone from 2002-2007. He was indicted on healthcare fraud charges of doing "unnecessary procedures". He effectively did trigger point injection, epidural steroid injections, RF, etc on everyone seen in his office as a condition of receiving narcotics. The fraud indictment accused him of creating a patient population dependent on having unwanted procedures since that is the only way he would give narcotics. He also owned or leased a mobile MRI scanner that would show up at his clinics. He also was charged 3 years ago with using the same syringe on multiple patients, walking from room to room administering injections changing only the needle...
 
Anybody tried the Carefusion vertebro/kyphoplasty product? A rep just showed it to me. The unique selling point is the 'Avaflex' curved injection needle. It's supposed to allow a unipedicular approach for vertebroplasties. It also has an interesting cement mixing electric blender. I might try it later this month...

i have not done a bi-pedicular vertebroplasty in like 2 years...

extra-pedicular solves this problem.
 
Sometimes. Recently a pain physician in Indiana was indicted by a grand jury for Medicare/Medicaid/Anthem fraud and his employee physician had his medical license revoked by summary suspension. The owner/doc had his DEA lifted but the state medical board is permitting him to continue practicing medicine until a September hearing....go figure. The physician with the indictment received $21,600,000 in payments from Medicare+Medicaid alone from 2002-2007. He was indicted on healthcare fraud charges of doing "unnecessary procedures". He effectively did trigger point injection, epidural steroid injections, RF, etc on everyone seen in his office as a condition of receiving narcotics. The fraud indictment accused him of creating a patient population dependent on having unwanted procedures since that is the only way he would give narcotics. He also owned or leased a mobile MRI scanner that would show up at his clinics. He also was charged 3 years ago with using the same syringe on multiple patients, walking from room to room administering injections changing only the needle...


i read the claim against him. Sounds like he was set up! yeah right....uggh. so good for our reputation and standing in the medical community.
 
Anybody tried the Carefusion vertebro/kyphoplasty product? A rep just showed it to me. The unique selling point is the 'Avaflex' curved injection needle. It's supposed to allow a unipedicular approach for vertebroplasties. It also has an interesting cement mixing electric blender. I might try it later this month...

Interesting you mentioned this. I think that Avaflex product is neat since you dont have to go bipedicular. The rep recently told me they have kyphoplasty kit (no experience with that). The V-plasty kit I've seen being used a few times with ease. I'd love to hear more about the kypho equip.

It's good to know these guys are coming u with these items despite that despicable NEJM study.
 
Anybody tried the Carefusion vertebro/kyphoplasty product? A rep just showed it to me. The unique selling point is the 'Avaflex' curved injection needle. It's supposed to allow a unipedicular approach for vertebroplasties. It also has an interesting cement mixing electric blender. I might try it later this month...

Will be using the avaflex in about a week - will let u know how it goes. I was using stryker but the local rep sucks and the prices are terrible. The curved needle is $$$ though and it only fits in the 11g.
 
I used Carefusion before using Stryker and loved the avaflex needle. Made unipedicular approach easy everytime. However the avaflex needle is $$$. I then wen to stryker. Recently did a kyphoplasty and the balloons didn't inflate. The rep told me that happens sometimes due to hard bone. Is this true or it he selling me some line b/c the balloons malfunctioned??
 
love the avaflex needle. i wish they would lower the price. i tried bending their kypho needle and it worked a little but not as well as the avaflex. our stryker rep sucks. after we bought their RF machine and their expensive needles, they have no-showed or have not answered our calls when we needed them. my local pain docs hate them too.
 
love the avaflex needle. i wish they would lower the price. i tried bending their kypho needle and it worked a little but not as well as the avaflex. our stryker rep sucks. after we bought their RF machine and their expensive needles, they have no-showed or have not answered our calls when we needed them. my local pain docs hate them too.

Have you guys tried the Depuy Confidence Osseoflex needle? Phenominal.
 
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