Failed lumbar spinal surgery

Failures and poor results of 160 patients after lumbar spinal surgery between 1980 and 1984 were analysed retrospectively. A self-rated questionnaire carried out 12 months after operation revealed 20 poor results; these occurred most commonly after multiple operations, decompression and fusion as compared to disc excision. The commonest cause was failure to recognise abnormal pain behaviour before operation. A more careful preoperative assessment should reduce the incidence of failure.