Spinal Stenosis Laser Surgery

spinal stenosis

For those people that suffer from spinal stenosis, yet are unfortunate in that non-invasive methods such as physical therapy and medications do not work, the last option to consider is surgery. Decompressive spinal surgery can make room in the vertebraes, relieving pressure and pain on the nerves. There are three common types of surgeries that can treat spinal stenosis - a foraminotomy, laminotomy and laminectomy.

These surgeries act to open up or remove specific parts of the vertebrae where spinal stenosis sets in. The foramen are openings on the sides of each vertebrae when they all line up to form the spine. There are nerves that extend from the spinal cord (in the spinal canal) and pass through the foramen to other parts of the body, such as the arms and legs. If these openings narrow, the nerves will essentially become pinched. The lamina are the bony walls on the sides of the vertebrae that form and protect the spinal canal. If the lamina grow in size or are pushed inward, they will also put extra pressure on the spinal cord.

The suffix otomy means "to cut or make an incision". A foraminotomy is the process of cutting open the foramen, to give more room for the nerves to freely pass inside the spine to other extremities. This can help people who suffer from degenerating discs in their vertebraes which reduces the size of the foramen. Other problems include bulging and herniated discs, which encroach on the foramen.

A laminotomy is the process of cutting away part of the lamina. It also acts to increase space and to release trapped nerves. In more severe cases, a laminectomy may be required, which requires the complete removal of the lamina (the suffix ectomy means "to remove.") Compared to a laminotomy, a laminectomy is usually an open surgery, while the former is minimally invasive.

There are other non surgical treatment options to consider as well. Generally, before surgery is even mentioned, physical therapy and pain medications are the first way to deal with spinal stenosis. While these are simple options for simple cases of spinal stenosis, they may only mitigate the pain as opposed to relieving it all together. More intense treatments include steroid injections, which are not a long term solution, and can possibly have adverse effects. Though surgery may seem like an extreme option, it is an easy operation that can potentially abate all pain and other symptoms.