Revision Spine Surgery

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Address Complications From Primary Spine Surgery

Revision spine surgery is a surgical procedure that addresses the complications and problems arising from primary spine surgery. Generally speaking, your spine surgery should address the root cause of your chronic neck or back pain, thus offering lifelong relief from pain. But a revision spine surgery might be necessary if you experience complications arising from the primary surgery, if the primary surgery fails to address your concerns, or if you develop new problems.

Dr. George Kakoulides is the leading board-certified neurosurgeon and spine surgeon on Long Island, New York. He performs a high number of revision spine surgeries for patients experiencing complications from their primary procedures (those handled by other surgeons). He investigates the root cause of your concerns, determines why your primary surgery failed, and curates the appropriate plan for your revision spine surgery.

Situations When Revision Spine Surgery is Needed

Recurrent Disc Herniation

Disc herniation is a condition wherein the soft nucleus of the spinal disk leaks out through small tears or cracks on the outer shell. The bulging nucleus may pinch or compress the surrounding nerve roots, leading to symptoms of radiculopathy. You may experience recurrent disc herniation if the original surgeon only removes the bulging parts of the disc (and not the complete disc) during your primary procedure.

Recurrent Disc Replacement

Disc replacement surgery is a procedure wherein the damaged disc is removed and replaced with an artificial spinal disc. Mobi-C is one of the most advanced cervical spinal disc implants on the market. If the artificial disc fails or malfunctions, you may need a recurrent disc replacement with a new device. Alternatively, the surgeon may remove the artificial disc and perform a spinal fusion.

Implant Problems

Your surgeon may use numerous implants to facilitate spinal fusion and stability, such as rods, spacers, cages, or screws. If the original implant fails, malfunctions, or dislocates, you may suffer nerve compression. During your revision spine surgery, the damaged implant may be removed and replaced with another implant to facilitate spinal fusion.

Adjacent Segment Disease

Spine surgery may lead to changes in the location of the adjacent spinal joints, leading to spinal cord compression or nerve compression. If new symptoms of nerve compression develop after your spine surgery, you may need a revision spine surgery to decompress the nerve roots and spinal cord, thus alleviating the symptoms of radiculopathy.

Pseudoarthrosis

If your vertebrae don’t fuse and heal a year after your primary spine surgery, the associated joints may become inflamed, leading to pseudoarthrosis. The facet joints may also develop bone spurs that compress and pinch your nerve roots, leading to new symptoms of nerve compression. In this case, revision spine surgery might be necessary.

Complications from Primary Surgery

Open surgeries involve making one large incision, following which the underlying muscles and tissues are disrupted. This is an extremely aggressive procedure that involves a fairly high risk of complications, such as infections. Patients who undergo open surgery often need a revision spine surgery to address the complications. Dr. Kakoulides provides minimally invasive spine surgery to minimize the risk of complications.

man before seeing spine surgeon in Long Island

Revision Spine Surgery: Your Assessment

Dr. Kakoulides performs a thorough assessment and diagnosis to determine if you need revision spine surgery. During your assessment, he will ask about your symptoms and review your health history and the details of your primary spine surgery. He will investigate the reasons for the failure of your primary surgery or the onset of recurrent spinal problems and, in some cases, may even talk to your original surgeon.

Dr. Kakoulides also uses the latest diagnostic and imaging tools to visualize the underlying spine. He may administer CT scans, MRIs, and X-rays to examine your spinal column and identify the damaged components, following which he’ll curate a personalized treatment plan. If possible, he may use conservative solutions to alleviate the symptoms — he only resorts to minimally invasive spine surgery if all other solutions fail. Surgery should always be the last resort.

Call Us Today If:

  • You have chronic back or neck pain even after your spine surgery
  • You experience numbness and tingling sensation at different parts of your body
  • You experience shooting pain in your arms, shoulders, hands, legs, buttocks, or neck
  • You experience loss of sensation or mobility in your arms or legs
  • You notice signs of infection at the surgical site
  • You believe you haven’t healed properly even weeks after your spine surgery
  • Your neck and back pain is accompanied by fever
  • You have recurrent pain and discomfort after your spine surgery

For more questions contact Dr. Kakoulides, spine surgeon on Long Island, for a consultation today.

man before seeing spine surgeon in Long Island

Contact Dr. Kakoulides

Dr. George Kakoulides is the on of the best neurosurgeons in New York, specializing in cutting-edge minimally invasive spine surgery techniques. He always performs a thorough diagnostic assessment to determine the root cause of your concerns, following which he curates a personalized treatment plan for you. He aims to address your concerns using conservative solutions, and he only resorts to revision spine surgery if absolutely necessary. Please schedule an appointment to determine if you need revision spine surgery.

CONTACT US TODAY