When Should Surgery Be Considered for Spinal Stenosis and What Is Involved?
In many cases, the conditions causing spinal stenosis cannot be permanently altered by non-surgical treatment, even though these measures may relieve pain for a period of time. To determine how much non-surgical treatment will help, a doctor may recommend such treatment first. However, surgery might be considered immediately if a patient has numbness or weakness that interferes with walking, impaired bowel or bladder function, or other neurological involvement. The effectiveness of non-surgical treatments, the extent of the patient’s pain, and the patient’s preferences may all factor into whether or not to have surgery. The purpose of surgery is to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves and restore and maintain alignment and strength of the spine. This can be done by removing, trimming, or adjusting diseased parts that are causing the pressure or loss of alignment. The most common surgery is called decompressive laminectomy: removal of the lamina (roof) of one or more vertebrae
