Failed Back Surgery

Spinal surgery sometimes leaves patients with chronic pain and dysfunction known as failed back surgery syndrome. If your recovery from back surgery isn't going as planned, Francis Pecoraro, MD, DAPMR, SAAPMR, at Coastal Spine & Sports Medicine, PLLC, in Wilmington, North Carolina, can help. He works with you to find the right answer to your failed back surgery syndrome and get you back to living the life you loved before pain slowed you down. Call the office or request an appointment online today.

What is failed back surgery?

Failed back surgery is a surprisingly common problem where the procedure you undergo to fix spinal pain doesn’t work as intended.

The spine is an incredibly complex structure and the central hub for nerves that pass through the vertebrae from your spinal cord. Damage to these nerves can cause severe back pain as well as numbness, unpleasant tingling, burning, or prickling sensations, and sometimes loss of function.

Around 600,000 people in the United States undergo back surgery every year, but some studies show that close to three-quarters of these operations are unsuccessful. Patients whose back surgery fails are often left dependent on opioid painkillers, which can have serious side effects and cause dependency and addiction.

Why might I suffer from failed back surgery syndrome?

Failed back surgery syndrome could happen after any spinal operation but seems particularly likely after spinal fusion. This common procedure involves removing a herniated disc and inserting a bone graft to fuse the vertebrae on either side.

Avoiding damage to the spinal nerves and the other tissues in your spine during a procedure like this is challenging even for the most skilled spinal surgeons.

Dr. Pecoraro has spent decades helping patients who are left in constant pain through failed back surgery using non-operative treatments and avoiding opioid dependence. These treatments are ideal for patients who wish to be free of back pain by taking a proactive approach rather than relying on increasing doses of pain medication.

How is failed back surgery syndrome treated?

Dr. Pecoraro understands that pain impacts everything you do. If back pain endures following surgery, he creates an individualized plan of care to find the right solution for your failed back surgery symptoms.

Your custom treatment plan could include injections that Dr. Pecoraro administers directly to the source of your pain to reduce inflammation. Some of the wide range of injections available include:

• Epidural steroid injections
• Transforaminal steroid injections
• Facet joint injections
• Trigger point injections
• Nerve blocks

Dr. Pecoraro administers these injections using image guidance technology to get the medication to the precise spot where it can be most effective. Using imaging also ensures the needle used in the injection doesn’t damage any surrounding tissues or nerves.

If you’ve had spinal surgery and now have chronic back or neck pain, Dr. Pecoraro has the skills and experience to help you recover. Find out more about failed back surgery treatment and how it can help you by calling Coastal Spine & Sports Medicine, PLLC, or book an appointment online today.