Spinal Surgery Risks and Complications

The following are possible Risks and Complications associate with traditional spinal surgeries.

  • Failed Back Surgery Syndrome – a well described condition where there is chronic back and/or leg pain even after the surgery.  Rates of failed surgery have been studied to be as high as 49%. (citation : Slipman, C. W., C. H. Shin, et al. (2002). “Etiologies of failed back surgery syndrome.” Pain Med 3(3): 200-14; discussion 214-7.)
  • Repeat herniation after Microdiscectomy.  This is due to the loss of supporting disc material that was cut out during the back surgery.
  • Chronic back pain due to back muscle weakening, joint instability and arthritis and/or disc herniations above and below the fusion, scar tissue formation.
  • The need, real or perceived, for further surgery at either the same, or adjacent levels.
  • Infection of the bone graft, implanted hardware, or soft tissues
  • Hardware breakage
  • Nerve injuries
  • Blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis) and/ or lungs (pulmonary embolism)
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