If you’ve been diagnosed with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), you are probably wondering how you ended up in this frustrating situation. FBSS describes the condition of any patient who has experienced an unsuccessful neck or back surgery, with the procedure either failing to relieve the original symptoms or creating new symptoms. Some estimates say that nearly 40 percent of individuals who undergo traditional open spine surgery experience some form of FBSS.

There are several potential causes of FBSS. Some examples include a failure to properly diagnose the original condition, failure to adequately decompress a nerve root, spinal fusion failure and implant migration. In some cases, scar tissue formation or nerve damage can lead to new symptoms that are unrelated to the original condition.

Consult your physician before considering surgery

Before you consider surgery to treat failed back surgery syndrome, there are some important questions you should ask your physician. They include:

• Are there other treatment options? Depending on the underlying spinal condition that led to your surgery, there may be nonsurgical treatments that could reduce your symptoms and allow you to resume an active lifestyle. Physical therapy, lifestyle adjustments, anti-inflammatory medications and regular stretching may help to lessen the strain on your spine.
• What was the specific cause of my FBSS? The cause of your FBSS may have an impact on your decision to undergo another surgery to address the issue.
• What are the risks? While all types of surgery have some level of potential risk, minimally invasive neck and back surgeries are generally considered to be safer than open back procedures.

FBSS treatment at USA Spine Care

At USA Spine Care, our skilled surgeons have helped more than 75,000 patients get back to their active lives since 2005, and we are able to report a patient satisfaction score of 96.^ If you would like to find out if you are a candidate for one of our outpatient procedures, contact USA Spine Care today.

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