Spinal fusion surgery

Spinal fusion surgery, as well as open spine surgery, are the only surgical techniques that have a clinical term for when they fail; Failed Back Surgery Syndrome or FBSS. This type of condition is used to describe patients who have had a spinal surgery but have not received any relief in the amount of pain they are suffering. Despite the name it is not actually a syndrome is a state that can be experienced post surgery.

One of the leading causes of post surgery pain is something called foraminal stenosis which is where the window which the spinal nerve passes through becomes narrower. It can also be caused by slipped discs in the back.

There are treatments for FBSS that generally include pain management and other forms of rehabilitation before another surgery is attempted. Spinal cord stimulators, exercises, and special pain medication delivery systems can also be implemented in the treatment of the condition.

Many people wonder why medical professionals do not suggest that patients immediately get corrective surgery but past experience showed that this won’t always alleviate the condition. A new type of procedure has been developed which can potentially cause far less trauma on muscles which can result in faster recovery.

The procedure is done only under local anaesthetic and the patient remains able to communicate throughout the procedure. This is a much more gentle procedure that brings hope to people who have had no success with the treatment of their back conditions in the past.