Any time you operate on the spine, there is some risk of injuring the spinal cord. This can lead to serious injuries to the nerves or the covering of the spinal cord - the dura. The spinal cord is a column of nerves that connects your brain with the rest of your body, allowing you to control your movements. The nerves in each area of the spinal cord connect to specific parts of your body. Damage to the spinal cord can cause paralysis in certain areas and not others, depending on which spinal nerves are affected.
Some spinal operations are simply unsuccessful.
One of the most common complications of spinal surgery is that it does not get rid of all of your pain. In some cases, it may be possible to actually increase your pain. Be aware of this risk before surgery and discuss it at length with your surgeon. He or she will be able to give you some idea of the chance that you will not get the relief that you expect. Some pain after surgery is expected, but if you experience chronic pain well after the operation, you should let your doctor know.