My Back Surgery Failed: Will Spinal Cord Stimulation Work?

So, what’s your alternative when the last-resort option fails? In the case of FBSS, it may be spinal cord stimulation (SCS).

As specialists in both spinal cord stimulation and treating FBSS, the team at Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management in West Des Moines and Des Moines, Iowa, can help you get past the chronic pain that remains after an ineffective back surgery procedure. 

The cause of FBSS

There’s no clear-cut definition of FBSS because it can be one of many post-surgical conditions. In general, the term may refer to any patient who experiences pain after back surgery. 

That’s a broad scope, meaning many situations can be described as FBSS or post-laminectomy syndrome, even if the procedure isn’t strictly a laminectomy. The post-surgical pain may not even seem connected to surgery. 

The surgery itself may fail to resolve the pain condition for which it was performed, but that’s not the only way FBSS forms. You could recover well from surgery only to find that a new back pain emerges, or it may result from a complication of surgery itself. 

Spinal cord stimulation for failed back surgery

Some cases of FBSS may be suitable for treatment with spinal cord stimulation. SCS involves low-level electrical signals that modify how nerves report pain to the brain. 

A trial procedure confirms that SCS works for you. We may first confirm the problem nerve using a spinal block injection. If that relieves your pain, we implant temporary electrical leads in your body to reach the nerve. 

During the trial phase, an external generator provides the low-current signal, which masks the pain caused by the target nerve, confirming the effectiveness of the treatment. If the trial eliminates or reduces your pain, you have the option for permanent SCS system implantation. 

As well as the leads that stimulate the pain-causing nerve, a small generator is implanted under your skin to supply power and receive signals from an external remote control. You can adjust the level of the pain-blocking effect using the remote. 

The benefits of SCS

While not every patient sees their post-surgical pain vanish with SCS, you’re likely to see some level of improvement. The most common benefits of SCS include: 

• Reduced reliance on pain medications, including opioids and their side effects
• The ability to treat pain that resists both conservative and aggressive treatments
• The ability to treat pain originating from nerves along a wide section of the spine
• The trial period to test effectiveness before the final surgery

As the last resort after last-resort surgery, a spinal cord stimulator may be a revelation for treating chronic pain symptoms. Learn more by contacting the nearest office of Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management. Call or click to schedule your consultation today.