I have that diagnosis - Failed Back (Surgery) Syndrome.

I am a 48 year old female and have had 9 major surgeries since 6th grade and 100s of surgical procedures since. My guess is that a patient who does not respond to back surgery gets this distinction - Failed Back Surgery Syndrome.

It does not mean you need anymore surgery, in fact most doctors won't do more surgery if you have this diagnosis depending on the specific circumstances of each person's situation of course.

Due to the type of surgery they did for severe scoliosis when I was in 6th grade back in the 1970s - the surgery created a situation where my back would eventually fail so to speak - because the Harrington Rod procedure back then (which is what I initially had) - was a new procedure and no one knew the horrific side effects or long lasting effects of what would happen to a growing child who had this kind of surgery at age 12.

Anyway, Failed Back Surgery Syndrome is a catch all phrase - when doctors don't know what happened, why the surgery did not work or do what it was supposed to do etc....this is my opinion.

No one ever told me I had Failed Back Surgery Syndrome but it is in all my medical notes and is used as part of my diagnosis for insurance purposes.

It is a Phrase - that does not mean your surgery failed and you need another surgery. I am not a doctor and your specific circumstances may warrant further surgeries - not because you have this diagnosis.

K