Post-surgical evaluation
For pain that persisted or returned after a discectomy or fusion. We read the operative report alongside the new imaging.
We review
Op report + MRI
Hardware
Left undisturbed
Revision
Last resort
What we review
Your current imaging and your operative report, side by side. The report tells us what was done, at which levels, and with what hardware; the imaging tells us what the spine looks like now. A post-operative MRI is harder to read — hardware causes artefact, and scar can resemble a recurrent herniation — so the two together matter more than either alone.
If you cannot find your operative report, our team will request the records with your authorization.
What we look for
Torn, leaking discs that were never addressed — most often the levels adjacent to a fusion, which take more load afterwards, or the operated disc itself. The annulogram is unaffected by hardware artefact: each disc is tested for leaking in turn, and only leaking discs are treated. Existing hardware is not disturbed and nothing further is removed.
What we do not do
We do not perform fusions or revisions. Loose or broken hardware, a fusion that has not united, infection, or progressive neurological signs are surgical questions, and we will send you back to a surgeon rather than treat around them. If your pain is coming from scar tissue alone, with no leaking disc, we will tell you that too.
Common questions
There is no fixed interval, but pain in the first weeks after an operation is expected and is a conversation for your surgeon. Persistent or returning pain months later is where this evaluation is useful.
Start with the scan you already have.
A physician screens the MRI you already have and tells you in writing whether you appear to be a candidate — before you spend anything, least of all a flight.