What happens during lumbar decompression surgery
If lumbar decompression surgery is recommended, you'll usually have at least 1 of the following procedures:
- laminectomy – where a section of bone is removed from 1 of your vertebrae (spinal bones) to relieve pressure on the affected nerve
- discectomy – where a section of a damaged disc is removed to relieve pressure on a nerve
- spinal fusion – where 2 or more vertebrae are joined together with a section of bone to stabilise and strengthen the spine
In many cases, a combination of these techniques may be used.
Lumbar decompression is usually carried out under general anaesthetic, which means you'll be unconscious during the procedure and won't feel any pain as it's carried out. The whole operation usually takes at least an hour, but may take much longer, depending on the complexity of the procedure.