Column Treatment Progress Report No.195: A Patient with a History of Spinal Fusion Surgery
January 24, 2026
The patient
A female patient in her 60s.
Treated in April 2024. Approximately 12 months have passed since treatment.
Symptoms and treatments to date
This patient had disc herniation in the areas indicated by the red frame (L1/2).
The patient had previously undergone spinal fusion surgery at the L2/3 and L3/4 levels.
Pre-treatment medical history and treatments to date
2014: Developed back pain, leading to gradual difficulty walking. Diagnosed with spinal canal stenosis, disc herniation, and spondylolisthesis at a local orthopedic clinic. The patient subsequently underwent fusion surgery with good initial results.
Late 2023: While getting into a car, the patient experienced discomfort in her lower back.
She revisited a local orthopedic clinic and was told that her spondylolisthesis had worsened.
Tried acupuncture, but symptoms fluctuated between improvement and relapse.
The patient visited our clinic seeking to improve her symptoms.
Post-treatment progress
The table below shows the results of the patient’s own evaluation of the pain in each body site on a scale of 0 to 10.
No pain at all is rated as 0 and 10 as the maximum possible pain.
| Lower back | Lower limbs | Numbness | Buttocks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before treatment | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
| 1 week after treatment | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| 1 month after treatment | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| 3 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 months after treatment | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following is feedback from the patient when contacted for follow-up.
1 month post-treatment:
Pain occurred around the hip joint when moving. Numbness was present around the right hip.
3 months post-treatment:
Both pain and numbness had completely resolved.
6 months post-treatment:
Slight numbness remained in the right hip, but daily life can be carried out without difficulty.
This patient suffered from disc herniation.
It is considered highly likely that the patient’s primary symptoms were caused by a new disc herniation at L1/2, which developed after the prior spinal fusion surgery.
As demonstrated in this case, symptoms after spinal fusion surgery may originate from disc pathology at levels other than the fused segments.
Patients experiencing persistent or recurrent low back pain after surgery are welcome to contact us for consultation.
* Results vary among individuals. Please be aware that identical outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
* It generally takes 3 weeks to 3 months for treatment effects to appear.
Our Treatment Method
Supplementary Information on the Cellgel Method
Cost of the Cellgel Method:
¥1,320,000 / 1 site (tax included)
to ¥1,760,000 / 5 sites (tax included)
Risks and Side Effects:
Temporary pain may occur after treatment.
Nerve injury is theoretically possible due to the nature of the procedure, but no such cases have been reported in our own experience or in published studies.
Extremely rare risk of allergic reaction to local anesthetic.
Symptoms may temporarily worsen for 1–2 weeks after treatment, believed to be due to decompression effects of the implant pulling on surrounding tissue.
If the disc is severely collapsed or nearly gone, treatment may not be possible.
The physician will discuss suitable treatment options with each patient depending on their condition.
For more detailed information, please refer to the following links:
Blog page explaining the Cellgel Method in an easy-to-understand manner
The Cellgel Method on our treatment methods page
This article was written by the administrative Director of our clinic
