Having spine surgery does not guarantee that your neck or back problems are gone for good. In some cases, pain and other symptoms can continue. This can mean that the initial procedure was not successful, or it could indicate that you have a recurring condition. Understanding your options if you have continued pain can help you determine if you should have a revision spine surgery.
Pain After Surgery
While it’s common to experience some pain and other symptoms after having surgery, this should typically only be temporary. When you have symptoms that do not go away after surgery, you should have an evaluation done. This can determine the cause of your symptoms and provide treatment options. Depending on the cause, you might not need to have revision spine surgery. However, if you do need surgery, there are minimally invasive procedures available and you should have the surgery performed by a surgeon familiar with revision surgery.
Reasons for Revision Spine Surgery
There are many reasons why you may need revision surgery. Some individuals develop a similar problem in another area of their spine. Some have had a disc herniation or bone spurs removed, but the disc herniation or bone spur comes back and needs to be removed again. Some have undergone a spine fusion surgery, but the instrumentation placed becomes loose or the bones have not properly fused. After a “fusion” surgery, it commonly takes 6-12 months for the bones to fuse and this does not always occur, leading to pseudoarthrosis. A revision of the fusion may be needed or the fusion may need to be extended to the adjacent levels.
Those who have had an artificial disc replacement sometimes need revision spine surgery if device failure occurs, such as when the device moves out of the correct position. Lastly, some people have continued pain despite their original surgery working. These patients sometimes benefit from a minimally invasive procedure called spinal cord stimulation.
Revision Spine Surgery at Rocky Mountain Brain & Spine Institute
If your evaluation shows that revision spine surgery might be a good option for relieving symptoms, Rocky Mountain Brain & Spine Institute can help. Our neurosurgeon, Dr. Adam Smith, offers minimally invasive procedures that are designed to provide effective treatment for numerous spine conditions. We commonly provide second opinions for persistent pain following surgery, and are experts in revision spine surgery. Avoid having another procedure for someone unfamiliar with revision spine surgery. We also are experts in spinal cord stimulation procedures.
Don’t live with continued back pain. Contact us to schedule a consultation today. Also, don’t forget to Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date with Rocky Mountain Brain & Spine Institute!