Spinal surgery is a delicate business, but sometimes the result a patient and their surgeon hope for doesn’t come to pass, and pain, nerve damage, mobility problems, and more return, or worse, fail to improve from the get-go, post-surgery.
Unfortunately, up to 10-40% of back surgeries aren’t ultimately successful. The good news is that revision spine surgery, performed when an earlier surgery is unsuccessful, can bring you lasting relief, finally. Interestingly, revision surgery may be indicated even when your symptoms are unrelated to an earlier surgery.
Board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Cohen offers revision spine surgery to patients saddled with persistent pain and other problems, despite a first attempt to ease them. He’s highly skilled at performing the procedure, which is typically more complex than other spine surgeries.
We noted that when the original back surgery doesn’t fix the problems a patient is experiencing, symptoms that come back or new ones that emerge are indications that another surgery may be necessary, but which ones point to the need for revision spine surgery?
These symptoms are diverse and depend on factors like what your initial diagnosis was, whether new issues are emerging from the failed surgery, and more.
As you can see, there are many reasons Dr. Cohen might recommend revision spine surgery as a solution for your ongoing discomfort and other symptoms, but in his capable hands, relief is in sight. Other health challenges can also affect how you heal after surgery, such as osteoporosis, a condition that weakens your bones.
The simple answer is that under Dr. Cohen’s expert and carefully considered care, the odds are high that the second time is actually the charm.
He only advises revision spine surgery for patients if he has the opportunity to study your case closely and do in-depth research into your first surgery and the emergence of the symptoms that followed. Dr. Cohen also carefully evaluates your current health, and has a detailed discussion with you about why he’s recommending this surgery and the reasons he’s optimistic about the anticipated outcome.
Although every revision spine surgery procedure is unique, Dr. Cohen has extensive experience performing minimally invasive procedures, which involve smaller incisions and are less traumatic to the body.
Whether Dr. Cohen performs another spinal fusion for you, places more supportive hardware, addresses an infection, or offers another solution, minimally invasive surgery is known to be less painful, and patients experience reduced bleeding and scarring. The recovery process is also faster.
You don’t have to continue suffering with pain and limited mobility, even if you’ve already had back surgery to correct a problem. Call Dr. Cohen’s Garden City office at 516-246-5008 to learn more, or reach out to him through the office’s website.
