Spinal Surgery

Treatment

Mild cases of spinal stenosis may be treated with rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin), and muscle relaxants. Spinal stenosis can be a progressive disease, however, and the source of pressure may have to be surgically removed..

Surgical Treatment

In many cases, non-surgical treatments do not treat the conditions that cause spinal stenosis, however they might temporarily relieve pain. Severe cases of stenosis often require surgery. The goal of the surgery is to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerve by widening the spinal canal. This is done by removing, trimming, or realigning involved parts that are contributing to the pressure.

The most common surgery in the lumbar spine is called decompressive laminectomy in which the laminae (roof) of the vertebrae are removed to create more space for the nerves. A surgeon may perform a laminectomy with or without fusing vertebrae or removing part of a disc. Various devices (like screws or rods) may be used to enhance fusion and support unstable areas of the spine.

Other types of surgery to treat stenosis include the following:

Laminotomy - when only a small portion of the lamina is removed to relieve pressure on the nerve roots.

Foraminotomy - when the foramin (the area where the nerve roots exit the spinal canal) is removed to increase space over a nerve canal. This surgery can be done alone or along with a laminotomy.

Medial Facetectomy - when part of the facet (a bony structure in the spinal canal) is removed to increase the space.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy - the cervical spine is reached through a small incision in the front of the neck.