Surgeries:
Lumbar Laminectomy
Lumbar laminectomy is a commonly performed procedure and is indicated for the relief of leg pain in patients with spinal stenosis who have referred leg pain.The typical patient with symptomatic spinal stenosis reports leg symptoms which are worse with walking and relieved with bending forward and rest. Symptoms that occur at night with turning in bed may be referred from the lumbar spine joints or facets and may co exist with symptoms of spinal stenosis but the treatment is different.
In well selected patients surgery has a high chance of relieving leg symptoms (pain, numbness, parasthesiae, weakness) which are typically made worse with walking and relieved with rest. Surgery may not relieve back pain or leg pain referred from arthritic lumbar spine joints.
Surgery under general anaesthesia (asleep) involves trimming back overgrown lamina (bone), facet joints and the ligaments which compress the nerve sac and nerve roots so that they can function normally. Risks of surgery include cosmetic scarring, infection, haematoma, tear in the nerve sac and cerebrospinal fluid leak. The risk of catastrophic complication such as death or paralysis is remote although patients frequently ask about this. Anaesthetic complications in patients over the age of 65 are increased but often manageable.
Patients are up mobilising the day following surgery with a physiotherapist and are then discharged home or to a rehabilitation facility depending upon support at home on simple pain medications.
Lumbar Laminectomy
Lumbar laminectomy is a commonly performed procedure and is indicated for the relief of leg pain in patients with spinal stenosis who have referred leg pain.The typical patient with symptomatic spinal stenosis reports leg symptoms which are worse with walking and relieved with bending forward and rest. Symptoms that occur at night with turning in bed may be referred from the lumbar spine joints or facets and may co exist with symptoms of spinal stenosis but the treatment is different.
In well selected patients surgery has a high chance of relieving leg symptoms (pain, numbness, parasthesiae, weakness) which are typically made worse with walking and relieved with rest. Surgery may not relieve back pain or leg pain referred from arthritic lumbar spine joints.
Surgery under general anaesthesia (asleep) involves trimming back overgrown lamina (bone), facet joints and the ligaments which compress the nerve sac and nerve roots so that they can function normally. Risks of surgery include cosmetic scarring, infection, haematoma, tear in the nerve sac and cerebrospinal fluid leak. The risk of catastrophic complication such as death or paralysis is remote although patients frequently ask about this. Anaesthetic complications in patients over the age of 65 are increased but often manageable.
Patients are up mobilising the day following surgery with a physiotherapist and are then discharged home or to a rehabilitation facility depending upon support at home on simple pain medications.