Revision spine surgery addresses persistent or recurrent symptoms after a prior spinal procedure. Whether due to adjacent segment disease, hardware complications, failed fusion, or recurrent disc herniation, Dr. Chavarria provides a thorough evaluation to identify the pain generator and, when surgery is indicated, a precise plan to address it.
What Is Revision Surgery?
Not every spine surgery achieves its intended outcome, and some patients develop new problems over time. 'Failed back surgery syndrome' is a broad term that encompasses many distinct causes of persistent pain — including recurrent disc herniation, adjacent segment disease (degeneration above or below a prior fusion), hardware failure, pseudarthrosis (failed fusion), or incompletely addressed stenosis. Identifying the correct underlying cause is critical before any revision is planned.
Revision spine surgery is inherently more complex than primary surgery due to scar tissue, altered anatomy, and the presence of prior hardware. Dr. Chavarria applies meticulous preoperative planning — including careful review of prior operative reports, original imaging, and current MRI and CT — to map exactly what was done before, what remains abnormal, and what the safest approach is to correct it.
Revision procedures range from minimally invasive discectomy for a recurrent herniation, to complex hardware removal and reconstruction for pseudarthrosis, to multi-level extension of prior fusions for adjacent segment disease. The appropriate procedure depends entirely on what is causing symptoms and what was done previously.
Are You a Candidate?
- Patients with recurrent disc herniation at the same or adjacent level after prior discectomy
- Patients with adjacent segment disease — degeneration or stenosis developing above or below a prior fusion
- Patients with pseudarthrosis (failed fusion) causing persistent or new instability symptoms
- Patients with hardware-related problems including screw loosening, rod fracture, or implant migration
- Patients with incompletely decompressed stenosis after prior laminectomy
- Patients whose initial surgery was performed at the wrong level or who have a new problem distinct from the original pathology
What to Expect
Pre-operative: Comprehensive evaluation including review of all prior surgical records and imaging, current MRI and CT scans, and standing alignment X-rays. This workup is more extensive than for primary surgery — the goal is certainty about the pain generator before proceeding.
Day of surgery: Complexity and duration depend on what revision is being performed. A recurrent discectomy may take under an hour; hardware revision and reconstruction may take 4–8 hours. Hospital stay ranges from same-day to several days depending on the procedure.
First 4–8 weeks: Activity restrictions and recovery timeline mirror those of the equivalent primary procedure — a revision discectomy recovers similarly to a primary one, while complex reconstruction follows the extended timeline of a major deformity correction.
Long term: Outcomes from revision surgery are generally somewhat lower than from primary procedures, but well-planned revision surgery for a clearly identified pain generator yields significant improvement in the majority of patients. Realistic expectations are established at the preoperative consultation.
Why Choose Dr. Chavarria for Your Revision Surgery in Reno?
- Thorough pre-operative evaluation to identify the correct cause before operating
- Experienced in hardware removal, reconstruction, and adjacent segment management
- Minimally invasive approaches used when anatomy permits
- Collaborative approach — Dr. Chavarria will tell you honestly if revision surgery is likely to help
- Access to full range of revision options: decompression, fusion extension, hardware exchange
- Fellowship training in complex and revision spine cases