Technology has certainly come along way. Doctors rave about minimally invasive surgeries that help people finally get relief from back pain. But what happens when the surgery doesn’t work, and patients are left with big bills, and broken promises? Anyone considering any type of spine surgery should do adequate research and not just rely on the words of the doctor recommending the surgery.
The statistics will vary depending on the source but you will typically see that up to 50-60% of surgeries are considered to be ineffective by the patient. This means that nearly half of the people that undergo spine surgery, still experience pain after the procedure. For some people, the pain is worse and they also experience loss in mobility. There are numerous types of spinal surgeries, including laser surgery, where lasers are used to treat pain associated with herniated discs, degenerative disc disease and other spinal conditions. The purpose of this article is not to scare you away from back surgery but to inform you that failed spine surgery is certainly a possibility.
It is possible for someone to have herniated discs and not experience pain. What this means is that surgery may target an anatomical problem and still not reduce or eliminate pain. There are several things that contribute to pain including, nerve pressure, disc problems, inflammation, and more. Most surgeries only address one of these issues. The best approach to pain management is accumulative.
How do you know when surgery is necessary? Ultimately, only you can determine when it is time to resort to surgery. As a rule of thumb, surgery should be treated as a last resort, after all non surgical treatments have been considered (within reason of course)
What to do if you experience failed spine surgery
First and foremost, you will want to inform your doctor that the procedure did not work as you expected. Then, you can start investigating other non surgical treatment options. Sometimes even simple treatments can have more impact than expensive surgery procedures. Your doctor may or may not be aware of all the available treatment options, so you may have to do a bit of the leg work on your own. This website has literally dozens of videos and hundreds of articles that will educate you on safe and effective treatment options.
