Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Surgery

Lumbar spinal stenosis surgery is the most common of the back surgeries for spinal stenosis as most problems occur in the lower regions of the spine rather than the thoracic or cervical spine. Problems may occur with the vertebrae, the intervertebral discs, the facet joints, and other functional aspects of the spine such as the ligaments or spinal muscles. Where a mechanical issue is present, such as osteophyte growth compressing spinal nerves, it is likely that lumbar spinal stenosis surgery will be necessary and that little relief will be found from conservative treatment options.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Effects

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Conditions such as sciatica may be relieved through lumbar spinal stenosis surgery, although this issue can also be caused by a problem with the piriformis muscle in the thigh making back surgery ineffective. It may be that minimally invasive back surgery can relieve spinal stenosis through the use of a spacer to restore intervertebral height. Other spinal stenosis surgeries may remove bone spurs that are causing pinched nerves in the lumbar spine, and some procedures excise a portion of the back bone to decompress the spinal column.

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Surgery for Disc Herniation

Where a herniated or bulging disc is causing nerve compression it is likely that conservative treatments for spinal stenosis will first be applied and patients may only be considered candidates for spinal stenosis surgery after several weeks or months of such treatment which generally includes pain medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, and physical therapy.

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Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Fusion

Spinal fusion procedures may be necessary where intervertebral discs are removed or where significant portions of bone or ligaments are excised to decompress the spine. Various spinal fusion techniques can be used to encourage the bones to fuse together after surgery. Some patients may have a small portion of bone transplanted from their hip to their spine, whereas others may require donor bone or a synthetic scaffold material. Spinal fusion is not without risk however, as with any lumbar spinal stenosis surgery.