Patient Library

Failed Back Surgery

Failed back surgery, also known as failed back syndrome or post laminectomy syndrome, is a generalized term to describe the condition of patients whose back or spine surgery was not successful and are suffering from chronic back or leg pain. There are many reasons why a surgery may result in failed back surgery (post laminectomy syndrome); however, the primary reason is that the injury (or lesion) that was operated on was not the source of the pain. Additional possibilities include:

• Residual or recurrent disc herniation
• Post-operative pressure on a spinal nerve
• Altered joint mobility
• Scar tissue
• Depression
• Anxiety