Post Operation Pain due to Infection

[pkgofgkp]

My mother went through this surgery (for L4/L5). The operation was successful (DRs say that).  But the region around the operation took long time to heal (she has Diabetes) and finally, after 50 days, it did heal up but my mother still has severe pain around the operated region and in the back. Drs say that this is due to infection and will continue to be like that until the infection if fully cured.
Questiona:
a) How often the infection occurs
b) Is the residual pain primarily due to the infection
c) How much time it will take before the infection goes away. (Its already 90 days now)

-PKG

[pkgofgkp]

Thanks for your reply.

Yes they are treating here with Antibiotic.
Not sure about the culture stuff. Will ask them about it.

-Pradeep

[LivingInHope]

I don't know how often infections occur with surgery, but it is a risk with any open surgery.  One can have pain from infection, but she is likely also having post-operative pain as well.  It can take a long time to recover from back surgery and sometimes, there can be permanent nerve damage in backs.  Regarding the infection- if your mom indeed has been tested and shown to have infection, they should be treating this with antibiotic.  Have they been?  And if the antibiotic has not knocked the infection out, I would think they should consider culturing the infection so they can pick the right type of antiobiotic to target the bacteria that is causing it.