An ultimate revision is never the expected outcome of back surgery. Ideally, after undergoing one surgery, patients are able to enjoy long-term relief from their symptoms. However, it’s an unfortunate reality that procedures don’t always unfold as planned, and a second operation can be necessary to fully address the initial problem or resolve new issues that have arisen due to surgical errors.
Dr. Joshua Rovner frequently runs into situations where patients have had a surgery that has effectively failed. As one of the best providers of revision spine surgery New Jersey has to offer, Dr. Joshua Rovner's main focus is bring your surgery to a successful outcome.
Reasons for revision spine surgery
There are a number of reasons patients may require revision spine surgery after an initial procedure. Some of the most common ones Dr. Rovner sees at his NJ office include:
- Improper healing or an infection at the surgical site
- Improper placement of spinal implants
- A herniated disc after a discectomy
- Persistent symptoms after surgery
- The spine fails to fuse properly
- An incorrect original diagnosis
- Further disc degeneration
- Spinal instability
Signs that revision spine surgery is necessary
The only way to confirm with certainty that a revision spine surgery is necessary is to schedule an appointment with a top provider of revision spine surgery New Jersey has to offer, like Dr. Rovner, who can confidently assess your condition and the outcome of your initial procedure.
However, some clear warning signs include:
- Chronic back pain
- Numbness or sensation loss
- A shooting pain that affects the back, legs, neck and/or arms
Common Reasons For Revision Spine Surgery
There are a number of reasons why Dr. Rovner may determine that you require revision spine surgery. Some of the most common ones are:
Recurring Disc Herniation
If you’ve undergone surgery to treat a herniated disc, you probably had a discectomy. If you continue to experience sciatica, back pain and other symptoms of the condition after your procedure, it may be because your herniated disc is recurring. This is even more likely if the original surgeon only removed part of the disc material, rather than the entire structure. As long as a portion of the herniated disc remains, a recurrence is possible.
Pseudoarthrosis
If the bone does not properly fuse one year after spinal fusion surgery, it’s referred to as pseudoarthrosis. Diagnosing this condition tends to be difficult, as it can take months or years for the symptoms to occur. Once the problem is revealed, it can be treated conservatively at first, with physical therapy and pain medication. If those measures are unsuccessful, revision spine surgery may be necessary.
Revision Disc Replacement
After undergoing disc replacement surgery, patients may experience symptoms of device failure, such as signs that the device has malfunctioned or changed position. When this occurs, a secondary total disc replacement may be needed, either to insert a new device or through spinal fusion surgery.
Implant Problems
In rare cases, patients may experience problems with the implants that were inserted during their initial procedure. For example, the implants inserted during spinal fusion may break, or they may have been placed improperly. This can cause chronic pain that won’t resolve until the problematic implants have been removed.
Adjacent Segment Disease
Adjacent segment disease occurs when the spinal joints adjacent to the area of back surgery begin to change, causing back, arm and leg pain, and symptoms affecting the spinal cord. When this occurs, conservative treatments should be tried first. However, if they are ineffective, Dr. Rovner may recommend revision spine surgery.
Assessing A Failed Procedure
During your appointment at Dr. Rovner’s New Jersey office, he will be focused on figuring out how and why your initial procedure failed, so that he can ensure a better outcome the second time around. To begin, he will ask you about your symptoms. He’ll want to know when they began, and whether or not you experienced a brief or lengthy resolution before the recurrence.
From there, he will order detailed imaging tests so that he can visualize the area and evaluate it for instability, poor fusion, further degeneration and other issues that could be causing your persistent symptoms.
Based on the results of your physical examination and imaging tests, Dr. Rover will be able to determine precisely why your initial procedure failed, and what needs to be done differently to arrive at a different, more favorable result. He will then counsel you on your treatment options and help you determine which one has the highest likelihood of safely and effectively resolving your condition for good.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
If you’re experiencing persistent or worsening symptoms after an initial spine surgery, you may be a candidate for revision spine surgery. Secondary surgeries are complex and require a heightened level of skill, so it’s important to seek out an experienced surgeon for your procedure. As a doctor providing some of the best revision spine surgery New Jersey has to offer, few doctors are more qualified than Dr. Rovner to assess your failed condition and perform your second, more successful operation.
