Failed back surgery syndrome is an unhelpful term that hides the true issues concerning the mechanism of pain and subsequent therapies that patients with chronic radicular neuropathic pain are exposed to. Patients with chronic radicular neuropathic pain who have had previous spinal surgery are numerous and comparable in prevalence and incidence to other pain associated diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis but with higher annual costs. Better recognition of this patient group with the effective recognition and multi-disciplinary care aimed at achieving best patient and societal outcomes is required.
FolletKDirksB.Etiology and evaluation of the failed back surgery syndrome. Neurosurg Q1993; 3: 40–59.
2.
NorthRBKiddDHZahurakM. Spinal cord stimulation for chronic, intractable pain: experience over two decades. Neurosurgery1993; 32: 384–394.
3.
WilkinsonHA.The Failed Back Syndrome: Etiology and Therapy. Philadelphia: Harper & Row, 1991.
4.
KumarKTaylorRSJacquesL. Spinal cord stimulation versus conventional medical management for neuropathic pain: a multicentre randomised controlled trial in patients with failed back surgery syndrome. Pain2007; 132: 179–188.
5.
LevequeJCVillavicencioATRubinLBulsaraKGoreckiJP. Spinal cord stimulation for failed back surgery syndrome. Neuromodulation2001; 4: 1–9.
6.
Lumbar spinal or radicular pain after failed spinal surgery. Page 179 Classification of Chronic Pain IASP second edition. 1994MerskeyHBogdukN.
7.
RagabADeshazoRD.Management of back pain in patients with previous back surgery. Am J Med2008; 121: 272–278.
8.
NorthRBKiddDHFarrokhiF. Spinal cord stimulation versus repeated lumbosacral spine surgery for chronic pain: a randomized, controlled trial. Neurosurgery2005; 56: 98–106.
9.
CherkinDDeyoRLoeserJBushTWaddellG.An international comparison of back surgery rates. Spine1994; 19: 1201–1206.
10.
TaylorRS.Epidemiology of refractory neuropathic pain. Pain Practice2006; 61: 22–26.
11.
EldabeSThomsonSBaranidharanG.Variation in spinal cord commissioning: What does the Hospital Episode Statistics database tell us?Pain News2012; 10: 94–96.
12.
ThomsonSJacquesL.Demographic characteristics of patients with severe neuropathic pain secondary to failed back surgery syndrome. Pain Pract2009; 9: 206–214.
13.
NorthRBKiddDHFarrohkiFPiantoadosiSA.Spinal cord stimulation versus repeated lumbosacral spine surgery for chronic pain: a randomised, controlled trial. Neurosurgery2005; 56: 98–107.
14.
KumarKTaylorRSJacquesL. The effects of spinal cord stimulation in neuropathic pain are sustained: a 24-month follow-up of the prospective randomised controlled multicenter trial of the effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation. Neurosurgery2008; 63: 762–770.
SimpsonEDuenasA.HolmesM. Spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain of neuropathic or ischaemic origin: systematic review and economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess2009; 13(17):
17.
Map of Medicine. Initial assessment and early management of pain; Spinal pain. Available at: http://www.mapofmedicine.com/ (accessed 13 March 2013).
18.
TaylorRRyanJO’DonnellREldabeSKumarKNorthR.The cost effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation in the treatment of failed back surgery syndrome. Clin J Pain2010; 26: 463–469.
