Neurostimulation in treatment of chronic neuropathic pain in patients with Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)

Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is defined as persistent or recurrent pain, mainly in the lower back and/or legs, even after previous anatomically successful spinal surgery. Treatment of such patients is difficult, with conservative therapy and repeated back surgery often proving unsuccessful at providing pain relief. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a minimally invasive procedure that physicians and patients to inexpensively evaluate the response to therapy before permanent implantation. Both trial stimulation and permanent implantation are fully reversible. Early treatment with SCS has been shown to be very effective in well-selected FBSS patients and should be considered instead of peoperation. Clinical stydies have demonstrated that SCS provides a sustained, long-term, 50% or more reduction in pain in over 60% of patient and allovys concomitant pain medication to be reduced. The substantial improvements in quality of life and functional status permit many patients to return to work. Patiens express great satisfaction with SCS and minimal side effects are observed. Moreover, SCS has been shown, to be a cost-effective alternative to conventional therapies. Thus, SCS is the treatment of choise in medically refractory FBSS patients where recurrent neuropathic pain persists after surgery and analgesics are no longer effective or accopanied by intolerable side effects.