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What Is Failed Back Surgery Syndrome?

Failed back surgery syndrome is a term used to describe unsuccessful pain relief from back surgery. The pain may not go away; in fact, it may become worse following spinal surgery.

  1. Significance

    • According to chiroweb.com, between 10 and 40 percent of back surgery patients experience failed back surgery syndrome. Symptoms include some amount of functional incapacitation following surgery.

    Study Results

    • A study by Drs. Alexis Waguespack, James Reynolds, and Jerome Schofferman presented at the annual meeting of the North American Spine Society in 1998 indicates a distinction that is made between the surgical procedure and pain reduction. While a fusion may be successfully performed, the patient may still have pain. This pain is referred to as failed back surgery syndrome.

    Outcome

    • According to spine-health.com, failed back surgery syndrome includes a back or spinal surgery without the intended successful outcome. Spine surgery success is only 95 percent predictable.

    Inaccurate Diagnosis

    • Failure to adequately and appropriately diagnose the source of back pain prior to surgery may result in failed back surgery syndrome.

    More Surgery

    • According to anesthesia-analgesia.org, failed back surgery syndrome may be the result of surgical complications such as infection, trauma or bleeding.

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