When Conservative Treatment Isn’t Enough: Understanding Spinal Stenosis Surgery

Many people may not realize that the discomfort they’re experiencing could be more than just typical back pain. When part of your nerve cluster becomes compressed in your spinal canal, you may be dealing with a condition known as spinal stenosis, which is mainly an age-related problem affecting most people over age 50.

As an experienced and highly respected minimally invasive spine surgeon, Dr. Charla Fischer treats patients affected by several painful conditions, from herniated discs to spondylolisthesis (slipped disc) and degenerative disc disease, all causes of spinal stenosis.

Fortunately, Dr. Fischer offers conservative treatments that relieve the life-limiting symptoms of spinal stenosis, but sometimes they aren’t enough to bring full relief, and a surgical solution is necessary. But in which instances?

Understanding a Compressed Spinal Cord

It’s clear that anything that increases crowding by jutting into the spinal canal — like a bone spur or bulge from a herniated disc — leads to compression and symptoms that substantially reduce your quality of life. These symptoms include:

• Muscle weakness in the arms and legs
• Pain that extends to the arms or legs
• Neck pain or lower back pain, which can become debilitating
• Numbness and tingling
• Leg cramps

Some patients don’t feel a thing as spinal stenosis develops, and imaging tests might be the only clue that something’s wrong. As the condition progresses, however, symptoms can make you quite uncomfortable and curtail your activities.

Equally vexing is the fact that spinal stenosis pain can be with you one minute and gone the next, which makes for an unpredictable, anxiety-producing way to live.

Why Would Surgery Be Recommended for Spinal Stenosis?

Typically, Dr. Fischer recommends conservative treatments to treat spinal stenosis initially, and they’re often successful. These treatments include anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, and physical therapy, which can all relieve pain and other symptoms and strengthen your spine.

Unfortunately, not every patient responds to these treatments — this is when Dr. Fischer advises surgery for spinal stenosis pain and mobility problems.

Today, these methods require that a surgeon make only a few small incisions instead of one long one. This type of surgery is superior because it’s associated with faster recovery, less pain, reduced bleeding, and less scarring.

Advanced Surgical Options for Spinal Stenosis

Here are the surgical options that Dr. Fischer performs to treat spinal stenosis:

1. Spinal Fusion

Spinal fusion connects your vertebrae to strengthen and stabilize your spine, and involves Dr. Fischer applying a bone graft that helps two bones become one over time. She uses metal screws, rods, and other components to secure your bones and keep them still as the fusion takes place during the months following your surgery.

Dr. Fischer might harvest bone fragments from your hip, use a fusion cage that contains bone growth-encouraging agents made of biocompatible material, or obtain a graft from a bone bank. Learn more about spinal fusion risks vs benefits.

2. Foraminotomy

This procedure widens your spine’s opening, where the nerve roots exit your spinal canal. If they’re crowded and causing pain, Dr. Fischer can deliver relief with this targeted surgical option. She performs both cervical foraminotomy procedures for neck-related stenosis.

3. Microdiscectomy

During a microdiscectomy, Dr. Fischer trims away any parts of a herniated disc that are causing you painful symptoms. She may also remove the damaged disc completely, depending on what she sees. This minimally invasive procedure is highly effective for treating disc-related stenosis.

4. Decompressive Laminectomy

This surgery sees Dr. Fischer remove the top of a vertebra (called the lamina) to open up room in your spinal canal so you can lose the pain and regain your full mobility. Lumbar laminectomy is one of the most effective treatments for spinal stenosis. Learn more about decompressive spine surgery.

Is Surgery Right for You?

If your spinal stenosis symptoms are severe, or if you’ve tried a range of non-invasive treatments and they haven’t worked, it’s time to have a conversation with Dr. Fischer about whether she’d advise surgery.

When choosing your spine surgeon, it’s important to work with someone who specializes in minimally invasive techniques and has extensive experience treating spinal stenosis.

Related Conditions Dr. Fischer Treats

In addition to spinal stenosis, Dr. Fischer treats a wide range of spine conditions including:

• Herniated discs
• Degenerative disc disease
• Sciatica
• Cervical myelopathy
• Scoliosis
• Pinched nerves
• Spinal arthritis
• Spinal fractures