What Is Failed Back Surgery or Failed Neck Surgery Syndrome?

Spine surgery is commonly performed to treat neck and back pain. Surgical operations are typically performed to achieve spinal decompression; and hardware such as cages, bone grafts, bars and screws are sometimes used. In some cases (either do to unforseen consiquences, behavior, or surgical error) pain or numbness can remain or re-appear post-surgery.  

• If a patient continues to experience pain or symptoms of a back and/or leg condition, the patient is then said to have failed spine surgery syndrome.
• If the symptoms are present in the neck and arms it is considered failed neck surgery syndrome.

Note From Dr. Liu
Failed spine surgery syndrome means a patient continues to feel neck pain and/or arm pain following a traditional open neck surgery.

In the case of a failed laminectomy (also known as Post Laminectomy Syndrome), continuous chronic pain indicates surgical failure. After a section of bone is removed from the spine during laminectomy, scar tissue can sometimes form. Painful, inflamed joints at the surgical site are another possible outcome.

Can I Prevent Failed Back Surgery or Neck Surgery Syndrome?

Whether it is failed back surgery syndrome or failed neck surgery syndrome, the condition might be due to several different factors such as:

• An incorrect diagnosis
• Poor patient selection by the center
• Incomplete decompression
• Or inadequate surgical skill and experience of the surgeon

So it’s very difficult to prevent failed back or neck surgery syndrome. In fact, the only way to truly avoid failed back or neck surgery syndrome is by avoiding surgery, especially open back or neck surgery. However, this will be a difficult decision to make if surgery is the only effective treatment option available for your back pain. In this case, you are left with the choice of either living with pain indefinitely, or having surgery that may or may not improve your condition.

To help patients reduce the chance of developing failed spine surgery syndrome, Atlantic Spine Center has developed several state-of-the-art medical procedures that:

• Are minimally invasive
  
• Do not require large incisions or hardware insertion
  
• Produce high rates of success with low risks of complication
  
• Offer long-lasting pain relief
  
• Allow a rapid recovery time