Thursday, January 5, 2012

Consider Failed Back Surgery Prior to Undergoing the First Spine Surgery

By David Greene


Failed surgery of the low back happens way too often these days. Between 10 and 40% of individuals who undergo back surgery either have no improvement or end up with more problems afterwards. Due to those odds, it makes sense to try every possible nonoperative option before undergoing lumbar spine surgery.

Failed Back Surgery Syndrome

Because back surgery has a high high incidence of a failure, there's actually been a term given to the condition that people end up in. This is called failed back surgery syndrome and the abbreviation is FBSS. The main reason that patients failed back surgery is that the initial diagnosis was wrong and even if the surgery was technically done perfectly the result is suboptimal.

When it is decided to fuse vertebrae to help improve a back condition, the procedure is irreversible and limits movement forever, so it is not a decision to make without considering other alternatives first.

Some low back surgery is completely necessary because it is the only resort such as in a trauma, but if it is elected it is best to get more than one opinion. If the indication is correct and the diagnosis is spot on, a person's life can be changed forever for the better with back surgery. Generally accidents such as falls, car accidents and sports injuries often lead to serious back injuries such as fractures which have an indication for surgery.

The Best Route to Take for Back Pain

If there was no inciting event, it typically means that the situation can be handled with nonoperative means such as with the chiropractor and/or pain medication. Figuring out the treatment that will help often has to do with whether or not there was a trauma that started the pain. If an individual does not remember any particular trauma then most likely it is a situation that cannot be handled nonoperatively first.

Obtaining radiographs can be an excellent way to see if there's serious physical damage and if surgery is truly necessary. Even then it may be prudent to get a 2nd doctors opinion if surgery is not an emergency.

Some individuals make the mistake of not seeking full nonoperative treatment because their insurance coverage won't allow it. For instance if he only gets well physical therapy visits a year and your coverage runs out you may not continue and just opt for surgery. This is a truly suboptimal way to go about seeking treatment since nonoperative treatment should truly be exhausted prior to undergoing lumbar spine surgery. Failed lumbar surgery can cause chronic pain for life.

When considering back surgery is important that individuals gather all the information necessary on the particular surgery being recommended. Getting answers to all of your questions from the doctor is extremely important as well as educating yourself.

Knowing how often failed lumbar spine surgery occurs and the different types of outcome to be expected may help make the difference in the decision regarding surgery.




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