Live Webcast: Lumbar Laminectomy
A lumbar laminectomy, or lumbar decompression, is performed to treat spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the nerves in the lower back, which causes symptoms in nearly 500000 Americans over the age of 50. Used to manage related conditions involving deformities of the vertebrae, such as spondylolisthesis or scoliosis, a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is an innovative, sometimes safer, more efficient alternative to other anterior and posterior-approach fusion procedures. Both conditions cause pain and weakness in the lower back and legs, leading to walking difficulty in many patients. The conditions occur as people age because ligaments around the spine thicken and the discs, or cushions, between the vertebrae start to deteriorate. During the surgery, an incision will be made in the patient’s back, but surgeons will approach the spine from the side, minimizing the nerve manipulation required to access the vertebrae, discs and nerves. They will remove bone and ligament from the spine to open the spinal canal and relieve pressure on the nerve roots which has been caused by stenosis. Next, the surgeons will perform a TLIF to fuse the spine where one vertebra has slipped forward onto the vertebra below it. (This generally occurs with spondylolisthesis, but in the case of the webcast patient it has been caused by complications from scoliosis.) Some vertebral bone will be removed to reduce nerve exposure, and then the pain-causing …
i had this done at around age 30 better but still have pain ,before leg was numb all the time am arond 40 now and do more then i could this injurie has left me a broken man i injured it at work and wokers comp has left me broke and unable to recover properly had to do work that i should not do was 18 years old whe this happend now i have scar tissue and joint pain that is very painful
I have terrible lower back pain if I stand for a long time or walk for about 2 minutes or more, only get relief if i sit down. have I got this stenosis? been in agony now for 7 weeks!
I had fusion at L4-5 one year ago and am headed back in for another as the disc below was also damaged, but thought to be able to last for many more years.
I wouldn’t look for a web diagnosis. If you have pain, see a doctor. You may be able to get away with pain management of all sorts, and without having to resort to more invasive measures such as surgery.
Had the lamendectomy and fusion which relieved my leg pain, But now im having pain around the incision and pain fron scar tissue which is getting worse on my left leg, I want to return to work but like many others i am still in a bunch of pain which I have to keep taking narcotics for, My employer will not take me back If im not 100% although I want to go back, They want to settle with me, But I’m young for this, Im confused….
see a doctor, dont hesistate, do it, do it, do it.
go to a doctor immediately and insist on an MRI. MRIs are not done routinely because of costs. Insist! If the say it’s not necessary, an x ray will be enough have them document and sign somtheing saying you requested an MRI and they refused. I have Caudia Equina Syndrome that could have been avoided if I had been more assertive and didn’t just trust my doctors completely. Doctor are human,they make mistakes.
I am having a lumar laminectomy done this Monday, in 6 days. I’m pretty damn scared but I’m ready to get this done and hopefully it will help me out. Seeing it freaks me out a bit but whatever. Oh and btw, I’m only 24, life should be GREAT when I’m 40!
Hello Magoonie. Have you tried any alternative treatments such as chiropractic?
I was supposed to have a lumbar lami, but I was fooled into trying chiropractic for my lower back pain. This guy told me he was a doctor, but unfortunately before he adjusted my back he didn’t realize that I had a disc bulge. I had some back pain in the middle of my back but after my adjustment I ended up with nerve damage. BE CAREFUL with chiropractors!! I ended up in a physiotherapy office and after 3 months i’m about ninety percent better.
Hi Kevin. Were you aware that you had a bulging disc before you went to see the chiro? Is the bulging disc the reason why you were going to get the lumbar lami? Did you inform the chiro that you had a bulging disc? Usually during a first appt that type of info would be discussed before any adjustments are done. Are you still going to get a lami now that you are doing better? Have you looked into all the possible negative outcomes that are common after getting a lami?
Thanks for posting something reliable. It is so hard to find trustworthy sources on the web about treating back pain. I can recommend MyBackPainInfo online. Great daily blogs.
I hope some of your viewers can recommend other sites.
There are many failed spinal leminectomy surgeries being done everyday. Patients all signed a paperwork before surgery that, the outcome of the leminectomy varies and can fail too.
This video is a very educational regarding my spine surgery, which was from L1 to S1/
Fabian Espina, Los Angeles. CA
I have been advised by my neurosurgeon, and orthopedic surgeon to stay away from D.C. because they think they can fix anything with a readjusting can fix anything. I wont see a D.C. because of my Chiari Malformation and my diastomatomyelia, and my spina bifida occulta, in my personal opinion D.C’S are quacks and should not practice medicine of any kind.
@aysoreferee459 What’s a D.C.?