A failed spine surgery is more than a medical problem — it is an expensive, never-ending claim with a patient's life on hold. Dr. Tyndall brings two decades of spine experience and a focus on salvage and complex cases to stalled workers' compensation files: avoiding the wrong surgery, salvaging the failed one, and driving the case to a definitive answer.
For adjusters, case managers, employers, attorneys & referring providers — and patients living with a failed spine surgery.
A spine surgery disaster is a case that is expensive, never-ending, and plagued with poor clinical outcomes. The pattern is familiar to anyone who manages these claims:
Pain that persists or worsens for the claimant after surgery.
An inability to return to work, with the file staying open.
A need for additional procedures that may not solve the problem.
A failed surgery isn't just a medical issue — it's a time-consuming administrative and human burden.
Failed surgeries keep files open for months or years.
Rising medical and indemnity costs and repeated procedures.
Return-to-work outcomes slip further away.
Stalled, frustrating claims become adversarial.
We've all seen that one file that's been open for years. It's expensive for the employer, the patient's life is on hold, and it's exhausting for you. The goal in a salvage case is to find the off-ramp — a definitive surgical or non-surgical answer that reaches Maximum Medical Improvement, and a PPI rating if necessary.
Two strategies turn disasters into success. Select one to explore.
The best disaster is the one that never happens. Many failures trace back to the wrong surgery or the wrong treatment course in the first place.
When a surgery has already failed, the work is detective work — find out why before suggesting a second operation, or recommending against one.
"A salvage isn't just a 're-do.' It's a rescue mission. When a patient has already been through the trauma of a failed surgery, they are physically and psychologically fragile — you need a surgeon who can fix the mechanics while managing expectations."
A clear, well-documented path keeps a claim moving toward resolution. Timeline, timeline, timeline.
Representative, de-identified workers' compensation cases. Select one to see the presentation, the problem, and Dr. Tyndall's approach.
Cases are representative, de-identified examples drawn from Dr. Tyndall's practice and presentations. Individual results vary.
The hardest skill in revision spine surgery is knowing when not to operate. Dr. Tyndall's approach is built on a careful workup and realistic endpoints — focused on function, not perfection.
When a salvage works, everyone wins — the claimant, the employer, and the claim.
Real functional gains and a return to work.
A clear maximum medical improvement and impairment rating when needed.
Predictable timelines that let the claim resolve.
Getting a stalled case to a fellowship-trained spine specialist early avoids the three things no one wants: unnecessary procedures and poor outcomes, endless care, and adversarial claims.
Have a file that's been open too long? Adjusters, case managers, employers, attorneys, and referring providers can contact Dr. Tyndall's office to coordinate a spine evaluation, second opinion, IME, or impairment rating. Let's find the off-ramp.
(219) 250-5035Monday – Friday · 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
500 E. 109th Avenue
Crown Point, IN 46307
833 W. Lincoln Highway, Suite 110
Schererville, IN 46375