Language
Country/Area
No result found
hy don't some back surgeries relieve pain? An in-depth discussion of the causes of "Postoperative Back Pain Syndrome"
Failed Back Syndrome (FBS) is a condition that causes chronic pain after back surgery. The occurrence of this situation can be an endless ordeal for the patient, as the gap between postoperative expectations and reality is often disappointing. Although the original intention of surgery is to relieve pain, in fact, many patients face unrelieved pain after surgery, resulting in a decrease in quality of life. Before exploring this phenomenon, we first need to understand the potential reasons why these surgeries fail.
The occurrence of postoperative back pain syndrome may be due to a variety of factors, including herniated discs, ongoing nerve compression, changes in joint mobility, scar tissue, and psychological factors such as anxiety and depression.
Signs and symptoms of postoperative back pain syndrome
Common symptoms of postoperative back pain syndrome include:
- Diffuse, dull, and throbbing pain in the back or legs, often accompanied by a sharp, stinging, or tingling sensation.
- The pain may be in a different location than where the surgery started.
- Patients may feel unable to fully recover and have limited mobility.
- Back spasms, numbness, or pain radiating from the lower back to the legs.
- In addition, psychological symptoms such as anxiety, depression and insomnia also occur.
These symptoms not only affect the patient's daily life, but may also lead to dependence on painkillers, trapping the patient in a painful cycle.
Reasons for failed back surgery
The causes of failed back surgeries are the focus of much medical research. The number of spine surgeries varies widely around the world, with relatively high numbers in the United States, however success rates vary based on a variety of factors. Patients who still experience pain after surgery can generally be divided into two groups:
- The first group are those patients who are simply not suitable candidates for surgery, or for whom surgery has failed to achieve the desired results.
- The second group had incomplete or inadequate surgeries that failed to address the root cause of their back pain.
Research shows that back pain that does not resolve after surgery is often because doctors fail to correctly identify the source of the pain during surgery, especially when the patient has multiple herniated discs and cannot determine which one is the real one. source of pain.
The role of chemical radiculitis
New research recognizes that chemical radiculitis is an important factor, not just mechanical compression. The key inflammatory substance tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is not only released by herniated discs but may also be caused by other factors such as joint pathology. Therefore, if the source of the pain is inflammation rather than compression, surgery may not relieve the pain and may even worsen the patient's condition.
The impact of smoking on postoperative outcomes
Smokers are less likely to lose pain and improve function after spinal surgery, research shows. The negative effects of nicotine on bone metabolism and its interference with wound healing make smoking one of the absolute contraindications for surgery.
As smoking habits improve, the success rate of post-surgery outcomes improves significantly. Therefore, smoking cessation is an important consideration for postoperative patients.
Conclusion
In the above discussion, we not only saw the complexity of postoperative back pain syndrome, but also understood the various factors of surgical failure and the clinical challenges behind it. As medicine continues to advance, are we ready to find new solutions when faced with this challenge?
