Between 20%-40% of back surgeries fail — meaning that back instability and pain return either very quickly post-surgery or after some months. Unsurprisingly, you may think twice if your doctor suggests revision spine surgery.
Revision spine surgery can correct something that wasn’t done right in a previous back surgery, but it’s often unrelated to the previous surgery. These problems still tend to fall under the umbrella of “failed back surgery syndrome,” or FBSS, however.
Thankfully, board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Cohen is highly experienced in performing revision spine surgery and determining which minimally invasive surgical treatment will remedy the problem that previous surgery failed to address.
If the need for surgery stems from something different, Dr. Cohen can explain why you may need the procedure. He listens closely to his patients, gives them the dignity they deserve, and creates treatment plans that align with their goals.
A multitude of problems can cause spinal instability and chronic pain, including spinal stenosis (pinched nerves and pain caused by a narrowed spinal canal), degenerative disc disease, and herniated discs (when some of the soft interior material inside one of the cushions between your vertebrae breaks through its tough exterior).
Because of this, revision spine surgery is complex. Dr. Cohen must do a deep dive into your medical and surgical history, examine how your pain has developed, and more. He asks you to describe your pain in detail, and whether it’s situational, constant, dull, or severe and stabbing.
Once he learns these details, he can investigate the root of your pain. For example, if your pain resumed soon after surgery, there’s a good chance you’re suffering from a compression issue, but if it took time to develop, the cause may be deterioration or even an infection. Another cause is spinal deformity, which can cause balance problems.
Any of these challenges can indicate to Dr. Cohen that you can benefit from revision spine surgery.
Many revision spine surgeries are not related to a botched previous surgery. A host of other causes may lead you to need the procedure, including pseudoarthrosis (when bones don’t heal correctly after spinal fusion surgery), radiculopathy (a pinched nerve), and adjacent segment disease, which is when the vertebral joints above and below your surgery site degenerate.
Dr. Cohen only recommends revision spine surgery after careful analysis.
If Dr. Cohen recommends revision spine surgery to alleviate your pain and increase your mobility so you can enjoy doing the things you love again, seriously consider it. Not only is his expertise reassuring, Dr. Cohen performs your surgery whenever possible using minimally invasive techniques, which offer you many benefits and contribute to the procedure’s success because Dr. Cohen:
Because this type of procedure is markedly less intrusive, minimally invasive surgery is associated with less pain, bleeding, and scarring post-surgery, as well as a reduced risk of post-surgical infection.
You can also return to the comfort of your home either the same day as your surgery or within one or two days, whereas traditional surgery requires you to stay at the hospital for an average of 3-5 days.
You recover more rapidly from minimally invasive revision spine surgery and reach your goal: returning to your normal activities, free from pain — once and for all.
Call our Garden City office at 516-246-5008 to schedule an in-office or virtual appointment.
