Failed Back Surgery Syndrome is a real term used when a patient continues to suffer from pain and loss of mobility long after surgery.
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are approximately 200,000 laminectomies performed every year with an estimated 20 – 30% of these operations reported to be unsuccessful. A laminectomy removes bone and thickened tissue that is narrowing the spinal canal and squeezing the spinal cord and nerve roots.
We have treated many patients successfully who have had Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. Most of the time, these patients respond the exact way that patients who have never had surgery do.
We have not read a lot of research on this subject because there just doesn’t seem to be much out there. As the information is released, I’ll make sure you are the first to get it! If you have any questions on this subject , feel free to email me and I’ll try and help you with the question.
Since I first wrote this answer, I was not satisfied with the information I had from research on this subject, so I checked out orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Peter F. Ullrich Jr. (MD)’s website on Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. To quote him, “Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (Also called FBSS or failed back syndrome) is a misnomer, as it is not actually a syndrome – it is a very generalized term that is often used to describe the condition of patients who have not had a successful result with back surgery or spine surgery (ex, there is no failed cardiac surgery syndrome, failed knee surgery syndrome, etc.).”
“Unfortunately, back surgery or spine surgery cannot literally cut out a patient’s pain. It is only able to change anatomy, and an anatomical lesion (injury) that is a probable cause of back pain must be identified prior to rather than after back surgery or spine surgery. By far, the number one reason back surgeries are not effective and some patients experience continued pain after surgery is because the lesion that was operated on is not in fact the cause of the pain.”
As I stated earlier, you can email me with questions and find more information through http://www.wilkinsspiinalcare.com.
Sources: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Dr. Peter F. Ullrich Jr. (MD)’s website on Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
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