The presence of excessive scar tissue from open back surgery is a common cause of post-operative back pain. The presence of scar tissue is a normal part of the healing process after surgery. However, occasionally this scar tissue compresses spinal nerves, a condition called epidural fibrosis. When this happens, the patient may continue to experience painful symptoms after having a procedure that was supposed to reduce or eliminate pain.
If a patient continues to suffer from pain after open back surgery has been completed, it is possible that the presence of scar tissue is exacerbating the symptoms that the surgery was intended to correct. If a patient hasn’t begun to find relief from pain three months after the operation, it is possible that scar tissue from the back surgery is the cause of the discomfort. Scar tissue buildup is an unfortunate side-effect of the large incision and tissue damage incurred during massively invasive open back surgery. In this case, an MRI is required to confirm the presence of scar tissue and ensure the symptoms aren’t being caused by another source.
The good news is that, if scar tissue from back surgery is indeed the source of your discomfort, you have options. At Laser Spine Institute (LSI), the award-winning staff regularly performs a procedure known as a laminotomy to treat epidural fibrosis. This is an extremely appealing option for many patients because:
- The outpatient procedure is minimally invasive
- The surgeon inserts a tiny tube and micro-surgical tools through a very small incision in the back (measuring about 5 millimeters), limiting pain and blood loss
- Recovery time is short and risks are much lower than those of traditional back surgery
- The success rate of minimally invasive laminotomy procedures is very high
It is also important to note that, many patients can avoid open back surgery altogether by choosing an endoscopic procedure from LSI instead. Since LSI’s procedures are minimally invasive, there is a much lower risk of scar tissue buildup compared to traditional back surgery.
Contact LSI today to learn more about laminotomy and the other exciting endoscopic surgical procedures used to treat neck and back pain. Rather than risk scar tissue from back surgery, LSI offers a number of procedures which are designed to help patients find meaningful relief without the long recovery time and risks of traditional open back surgery.
