Ending Back Pain by Jack Stern M.D. Ph.D

Author:Jack Stern, M.D., Ph.D.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2014-08-05T04:00:00+00:00

Wrong or Inadequate Surgery

An improper or inadequate operation encompasses a variety of different issues. Wrong operation implies that the indications of the surgery were incorrect. This can happen to the best of surgeons. What the responsible surgeon will do if your symptoms do not improve is investigate further, discuss your situation with his or her colleagues, and share their findings and thought process with you, the patient. It’s important that you are involved in the diagnosis.

Wrong operation can also mean that there was an operative oversight or error. It used to be that the most common cause of malpractice for spinal surgery was operating on the wrong area, such as the wrong vertebra. Fortunately, this error is much less common today, thanks to mandatory standards in place to prevent such unfortunate circumstances.

In my experience, the most common cause of pain that does not resolve in the immediate postoperative period is due to inadequate decompression. In the case of a herniated disc, for example, a portion of the disc compressing the root has not been adequately removed. Another reason could be the fact that two disc herniations are present. This occurs in 15 percent of cases and the surgeon has made the incorrect assumption as to which one of the herniations is causing the pain.

In all of these scenarios, the diagnosis can usually be made with a postoperative MRI or CT scan. When failure occurs, it should be worked up immediately. The goal, once again, is to avoid additional surgeries and sending you deeper into the vortex of failed medical and surgical management.

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