[Post disc surgery syndrome: indications for surgery and conservative and operative treatment possibilities]

Post disc surgery syndrome is characterised by the presence of persistent disabling pain in the hip, thigh, or lower back. Persistent or recurrent pain may be related to neurologic compression, incomplete discectomy with retained disc fragments, recurrent disc herniation, or altered biomechanics of the operated segments. Early failure is usually due to poor patient selection, incorrect diagnosis, incorrect procedure, or infection. A new onset of pain following a good surgical result may be due to recurrent disc herniation, instability of the operated segment, or disease at a different disc level. It can also be the result of a chronic pain syndrome. Therapy depends on exact diagnostics and can include conservative as well as surgical treatment.