Failed Back Surgery

Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is seen in 10-40 percent of patients who undergo back surgery. It is characterized by intractable pain and varying degrees of functional incapacitation occurring after spine surgery. There are many reasons that a back surgery may or may not work, and even with the best surgeon and for the best indications, spine surgery is no more than 80% predictive of a successful result.

Reasons for Failed Back Surgery and Pain after Surgery

Spine surgery is basically able to accomplish only two things:

●      Surgically decompress a nerve root that is pinched, or

●      Stabilize a painful joint

Unfortunately, back surgery or spine surgery cannot literally cut out a patient’s pain. It is only able to change anatomy, and an anatomical lesion (injury) that is a probable cause of back pain must be identified prior to rather than after back surgery or spine surgery.

By far, the number one reason some patients experience continued pain after surgery, is because the lesion that was operated on is not in fact the cause of the patient’s pain.

Therefore, the best way to avoid a spine surgery that leads to an unsuccessful result is to stick to operations that have a high degree of success. And, to make sure that an anatomic lesion that is amenable to surgical correction is identified preoperatively.