Failed Back Surgery Syndrome, sometimes called Post-Laminectomy Syndrome, is a term used to describe persistent pain despite having spine surgery. The main goals of spine surgery are to relieve pain and improve spine stability. Failed back surgery syndrome is a term used to describe suboptimal results from spine surgery.
Despite having spine surgery, some patients continue to experience pain. Lack of relief from spine surgery could occur due to:
Failure of fusion
Development of a new lesion (source of pain) in an adjacent spinal level
Inadequate nerve decompression
Recurrent spinal stenosis or disc herniation
Nerve damage before or during surgery
Development of scar tissue around the nerve
A secondary source of pain remains untreated
Ongoing or recurrent back or leg pain following spinal surgery, often with neuropathic features.
The first step to diagnose failed back surgery syndrome is to perform a thorough physical examination and carefully consider your medical and family history.
Some of the treatments for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome include: