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Lumbar decompression surgery is a form of surgery used to treat compressed nerves in the lower (lumbar) spine.

It is only suggested when non-surgical procedures have failed.

The procedure seeks to alleviate symptoms such as persistent pain and numbness in the legs caused by pressure on the nerves in the spine.

Lumbar decompression surgery is frequently used to treat:

Spinal stenosis is a constriction of a segment of the spinal column that puts pressure on the nerves inside a slipped disc, and sciatica is when a damaged spinal disc presses down on an underlying nerve. Metastatic spinal cord compression occurs when cancer travels from one section of the body to the spine and presses on the spinal cord or nerves.

What is the procedure for lumbar decompression surgery?

If lumbar decompression surgery is recommended, at least one of the following operations will be performed:

Laminectomy – a procedure in which a portion of bone from one of your vertebrae (spinal bones) is removed to relieve pressure on the afflicted nerve.

Discectomy is the removal of a piece of a diseased disc to relieve pressure on a nerve. Spinal fusion is the joining of two or more vertebrae with a section of bone to stabilise and strengthen the spine.

A mixture of these strategies may be applied in many circumstances.

Lumbar decompression is typically performed under general anaesthesia, which means you will be unconscious throughout the treatment and will not experience any pain. The entire surgery normally takes at least an hour, but it might take considerably more depending on the complexity of the procedure.