Failed sciatica surgery is a particular variation of failed back surgery syndrome. This is the unfortunate, yet very common result of an unsuccessful spinal surgery. Many patients brave known and unknown horrors in the operating room, as well as enduring the arduous journey of post-surgical rehabilitation, only to find that their sciatica pain is still there. Worse yet, some of these patients experience worse pain than ever before and are sometimes permanently disabled due to their failed surgical procedures.
This essay details the occurrence of failed spinal surgery and focuses on why surgical dissapointment takes place so often.
What is Failed Sciatica Surgery?
Unsuccessful sciatica surgery describes the proverbial end of the line in patient care. Last stop, everyone off.
Most of these poor souls have already suffered years of pain and countless conservative sciatica treatments. They have finally broken down and acquiesced to undergoing surgical intervention, despite the many risks inherent to their chosen procedure. These patients were put through the ultimate torture in the back pain industry, having their bodies ripped open and pieces of their natural anatomies removed. They did this all to find relief. However, for these patients, there is no relief.
Worst of all, they have been anatomically altered by their surgeries and are unlikely to resume a normal life ever again. They still have pain and now, the agony is constant and more intense than ever. Welcome to the nightmare which is failed back surgery syndrome. But, take some comfort in knowing you are not alone here. There are millions just like you sharing this cruel fate worldwide.
What Causes Failed Spinal Surgery?
There can be any number of potential causes for failed spinal surgery, including all of the factors listed below:
The doctor might have simply done a poor job and not resolved the painful complaint adequately. There is no medical error here, just a lackluster performance from a mediocre surgeon.
A surgical or postoperative complication occurred and caused infection or some other problem which was beyond the control of the surgeon. This happens in a few cases.
The doctor was simply careless and made a mistake. This is iatrogenesis and is a huge problem within the entire healthcare system. A severed nerve, ruptured spinal sac, spinal fluid leak and numerous other conditions can lead to real health concerns for a patient.
All these possibilities aside, the most common reason for failed spinal surgery is simple misdiagnosis of the sciatica symptoms to begin with. If the diagnosis is incorrect, any subsequent treatment, including surgery, will fail.
While it is always crucial to achieve an accurate diagnosis, it is never more important than prior to a surgical event. Never undergo an operation without being completely confident in the diagnostic theory.
Failed Sciatica Surgery Advisory
It breaks my heart that I receive so many requests for advice from patients with this debilitating condition. I understand that most of you have lost everything, including your hope for recovery, due to failed back surgery.
When I hear how you are often simply turned away by your surgeons after the unfortunate occurrence, I feel even worse.. These very same doctors virtually promised you a cure just a few months ago and now that things did not work out as hoped, they will not even answer your calls anymore. It is very, very sad to say the least.
I have extreme sympathy for you, but hope that at least some future patients might learn from the mistake of enduring surgery for many varieties of common sciatica pain. There is not much I can do for those who are suffering, except to offer my deepest condolences to you and your families. I just wish I had the chance to speak to you before the surgery was performed.
