You expect a spinal procedure to either help completely resolve your symptoms or greatly reduce your discomfort, and that’s what happens for the majority of people. It may take weeks or months of rehabilitation, but most people notice a significant improvement in their condition following their spinal procedure. But for those who don’t experience the optimal results, what types of signs or symptoms suggest that something went amiss with their first operation? In today’s blog, we examine some of the common signs of a failed spine surgery.
Failed Spine Surgery Symptoms
If you’re dealing with any of these issues following your spinal operation, consider reaching back out to your surgeon, because you may be dealing with a failed spine surgery or another issue that requires attention:
- Spinal Weakness – Your spine should feel stronger in the wake of an operation. It may take days or even weeks for you to notice this as a result of the trauma of the operation itself, but your spine should feel stronger than it did before the operation. If it doesn’t, or you’re dealing with new weakness in your neck, arms or legs, it could be the result of a failed operation.
- New Pain – The goal of the procedure is to reduce discomfort at the source, and while you may deal with some pain at the incision site for the first few days after surgery, that and your original discomfort should fade. However, if you develop new pain, either in the spine or a nearby location like your neck, arms or legs, bring this up to your surgeon.
- Headaches – Headaches may be another indicator that something just didn’t go exactly as planned with your original spine surgery. Headaches can develop as a result of nerve damage or a cerebrospinal fluid leak, both of which need to be brought up to your spine surgeon.
- Nerve Pain – Nerve pain can be obvious right after your operation in the event that a nerve was damaged, but more commonly these sensations develop much later during your recovery. If you’re not active with your physical therapy and rehab stretches, scar tissue can settle in and envelop nearby nerves, causing localized or shooting discomfort in the arms or legs.
- Decreased Mobility – Similar to the first point about feeling stronger after surgery, you should eventually have more mobility in your spinal column. If you feel like you haven’t regained any mobility following surgery, or you have even worse range of motion, there may be an issue with your first operation.
- Bowel/Stomach Issues – Finally, if you’re having any new or severe bowel issues in the wake of your operation, it could be a sign of an issue with your operation. Symptoms like vomiting, incontinence or bladder leakage could all be major indicators of an issue, and you should let your spine surgeon know what you’re dealing with right away.
As we mentioned in the introduction, the vast majority of spinal operations go as expected and patients experience wonderful results, but it always pays to know what symptoms you should be on the lookout for that may suggest an issue. For more information, or for help with your spinal discomfort, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s office today.
