Should You Go for a Second Spine Surgery? Here is What You Need to Know

dpadmin Livontaglobal

Even the thought of undergoing a spinal surgery is enough to send shivers down anybody’s spine. Each and every surgery involves risk of complications. Especially when the surgery involves the spine and the spinal cord. Understanding its seriousness, people generally try to avoid it as long as possible. Only when they find no other option to get rid of excruciating pain, they choose to go through spine surgery. Unfortunately, not every spine surgery turns out to be successful. Some cases demand another spine surgery to address complications. This is called revision spine surgery and one has to be mentally strong and prepared to go through it. The question here is should you go for another spine surgery after a failed surgery?

Sometimes after a spine surgery, you may realise that the symptoms have remained or have worsened. In medical terms, this condition is known as failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). If the first surgery fails, you hardly have any other option than going through the surgery again. Spine surgery is costly in comparison to other surgery. In such a situation, Livonta Global can help you get best spine treatment in India at low cost. After finding out more about revision spine surgery, you can opt for spine surgery in India at leading multi-speciality hospitals of the country under the able guidance of expert doctors of the field.

It is natural to be sceptical about the second surgery after the first failed surgery. Before considering another surgery, you should go to the root cause of failure of the first surgery. You must take into consideration that-

(image courtesy:health.com)

  • Spine is a complex organ. Even the best surgeons who use the most advanced technology fail sometimes due to error of judgement or inappropriate procedures.
  • Mistake in diagnosis or in information provided by the patient can also result in failure.
  • It also depends on the patient’s individual condition. For example, smokers have higher risk of spine surgery failure. Cigarette smoke carries toxic chemical nicotine which hinders healing of bones.
  • Patients with autoimmune disorders, peripheral artery disease, obesity and diabetes may not get desirable results after the surgery.

Doctors generally suggest patients go for conservative treatments after a failed surgery. Only as the last resort, they advise to undergo another surgery. There are some points you should keep in mind to ensure success of the second surgery.

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  • Accurate diagnosis is important for the success of the surgery. Make sure this time the diagnosis is correct since many conditions have common symptoms.
  • Find a spine surgeon whom you can trust fully and who has the latest knowledge of technology in the field.  
  • With the help of your orthopaedic, prepare an accurate and detailed history of pain.
  • Prior to the surgery, clear your doubts with the surgeon. Ask him what are the risks and benefits? Are there any alternatives? What is the success rate? What if you decide not to undergo the surgery?

After this, if you choose to undergo revision spine surgery, the doctor will ask you to go through diagnostic procedures like x-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, Bone scans, Electromyography (EMG) etc. It will help the surgeon understand the root cause of the problem, your medical condition and expected outcome of the surgery.

What Should You Expect from The Second Spine Surgery?

(image courtesy:spine-health.com)

It is natural to be anxious about the outcome of the second surgery. That is why, you should prepare your mind for what is coming.

  • In order to address degenerative changes, doctors may extend a previous spinal fusion.
  • Doctors may add surgical instrumentation to provide more stability to the spine.
  • If a previously added instrument is causing pain or infection, the doctor can remove it.
  • If a tissue or scar is infected, it will be eliminated in the second surgery.
  • Doctors can create intentional spinal fractures to restore spine alignment and stop progressive deformity.
  • Doctors can remove tissues or bits of bone causing compression to relieve pinched nerves.

It is wise to get a second or third opinion to ensure that you are making the right choice. You must consult not just one doctor but a multidisciplinary team before taking any decision regarding the second surgery.

   Spine Treatment

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