Brack faces more surgery on injured back.

Kenny Brack will undergo further surgery on his injured back this week, after a minor problem during initial operations in Dallas prevented the entire planned repair from being carried out.

The Swede continues to make good progress after suffering a potentially life-threatening accident during the Indy Racing League season finale at Texas Motor Speedway, but rehabilitation expert Dr Robert Gregori revealed during a press call that also featured Brack and team boss Bobby Rahal, that the 1998 IRL champion would have to go back under the knife to complete a routine procedure.

"During the course of the surgery on Kenny's spine, as the backside of the spine was being stabilized on the day after the injury, he developed what's called a dural tear or a leak of spinal fluid through the dura," Gregori explained, "The dura is the sac, if you will, the membrane that contains the spinal fluid around the brain and the spinal cord. When there's a tear of that dura, the spinal fluid will leak, and that has to be repaired in order to adequately close up the wound.

"In the process of the posterior stabilisation, which went very well, there was a small issue with the dural tear. To keep that leak under control and help stabilise that, it required a couple extra hours - I think two hours - of extra surgical time. So they couldn't finish the procedure by doing the front or anterior fusion piece. That's a plan for tomorrow. Dr Trammell is going to take Kenny back for surgery, and finish the spine stabilisation process.

"He'll be utilising what's called an anterior approach, meaning he'll go from in front of the spine. They have to go through the abdomen to get to that aspect of the spine, and will then fuse it with metal hardware, and probably some bone fusion, as well."

Gregori went on to confirm that not having the operation completed in one go would not hamper Brack's anticipated 100 per cent recovery.

"There hasn't been any negative effects of not having them completed together," he insisted, "He's been well stabilised by an external brace that he wears. But that procedure is to be completed tomorrow to add further stability to the spine and allow him to continue to heal."

Brack admitted to being a little wary about going back under the knife, but confirmed that he was in good hands.

"I was a little worried when they put that piece of paper through my hand - the one where they explained all the risks," he confessed, "There seems to be a lot of risks with it but, in the United States, [because] they always have to make sure the patient understands everything, they sometimes go a little overboard.

"But, in reality, I'm not worried about it. I know I'm good hands with Dr Terry Trammell. He's one of the world's best surgeons when it comes to this type of injury. Obviously, he's a racing doctor and he's been around racing accidents for most of his career and is used to taking care of back surgery and spine surgery and stuff like that."

The Swede also revealed that he would be undergoing not one, but two operations at the same time.

"There is also going to be another operation made at the same time on my right ankle, which is going to be performed by Dr Scheid who is also very well-known in racing circles and has taken care of many similar accidents," he explained, "He's going to just make some surfaces a little more even in that joint, just to make it even better.

"They think that it's all going to take roughly around three or four hours. So, you know, I feel very confident. I'm in good hands. I know that, once this is over, the spine will be stronger than it was from the beginning, and that's good to know."