Revision Spine Surgery

Revision spine surgery at Sierra Spine Institute finds the problem causing your pain and corrects it to give you the intended results of your first procedure. Esteemed board-certified and fellowship-trained spine surgeon Tyler Smith, MD, and the team of leading revision spine surgery specialists use the most up-to-date technology to give you the results you deserve this time. Call the Roseville, California, office or book your consultation using the online scheduler now.

What is revision spine surgery?

Revision spine surgery is a surgical procedure to resolve problems that appear after back or neck surgery. For some people, pain may never improve after surgery, while others could experience a sudden recurrence of pain following months or years of symptom relief. 

Revision spine surgery zeros in on the problem and corrects that issue to provide the outcome you should have from the first surgery. 

What are the signs I might need revision spine surgery?

Some symptoms that might indicate a problem with the results of your first surgery include:

• Pain at or near the surgery site
• Shooting pain 
• Aching discomfort
• Frequent muscle cramps or spasms
• Needing more pain medication than expected
• Spine stiffness
• Reduced ability to keep up your regular activities 

In general, if your pain never goes away after surgery or if you experience a recurrence of symptoms anytime following surgery (even months or years later), it’s time to schedule an appointment to discuss your treatment options. 

What causes back surgery failure?

Having a failed back surgery doesn’t necessarily mean that your original surgeon did something wrong. Unfortunately, the body can react in unexpected ways at times, and your failed back surgery could be because of problems such as:

• Herniated disc recurrence
• Degenerative disc disease recurrence
• Pseudoarthrosis: fusion failure after surgery
• Loose surgical hardware
• Worsening of a progressive disorder like scoliosis 
• Adjacent level disease: breakdown of vertebral joints on either side of the surgical site
• Spinal nerve root irritation
• Infection at or around the surgical site
• Wrong area treated in the first surgery

At Sierra Spine Institute, the talented surgical team uses the latest diagnostic techniques to pinpoint the cause of your failed back surgery. They then use this information to design a personalized treatment plan. 

What does revision spine surgery involve?

Every revision procedure is unique. The team may focus on removing tissue or bone, replacing hardware, reinforcing hardware, or restructuring the treatment area. In some cases, revision procedures may repeat the previous procedure using more up-to-date techniques. 

Revision spine surgery usually uses minimally invasive approaches that minimize incision size and preserve the muscles, leading to a faster recovery. However, because revision surgery is considerably more complex than first-time spine surgery, you might need to stay in the hospital for a night. 

To learn more about revision spine surgery, call the Sacramento area office or book your appointment online now.