Lumbar decompressive surgery is an operation to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves in the lower back. It is often used to treat a condition called spinal stenosis.
Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of areas of the spine. It occurs when the bones, ligaments or discs of the spine squash the nerves of the spine causing pain, usually in the lower back and legs.
Causes Of Spinal Stenosis Include:
- Age-related degeneration of the spine,
- Changes in the ligaments of the spine, and
- Diseases of the bone, such as Paget’s disease.
- Other conditions that may require lumbar decompressive surgery include:
- A slipped (herniated) disc,
- Spinal tumours, and
- Spinal injury.
Lumbar decompressive surgery is recommended when the pain in your back and legs is affecting your quality of life and alternative treatments, such as pain relief and physiotherapy, have not worked.
Types of surgery
There Are Two Types Of Lumbar Decompressive Surgery:
A laminectomy or partial laminectomy removes or trims the bony arch of a vertebra (bone) or ligaments of the spine to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord.
A discectomy removes the damaged or bulging part of a slipped disc to relieve pressure on the spinal cord.
Outlook
70% and 75% of patients experience a significant improvement in leg pain after lumbar decompressive surgery. 20-25% of patients experience an improvement, but still have some pain.
The success rate for microdiscectomy (keyhole surgery) is slightly better, with 80-85% of patients experiencing an improvement in their leg pain.
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