Spinal Stenosis Laser Surgery

There are two types of surgery that are commonly used to treat spinal stenosis – a foraminotomy and a laminotomy.  Both are types of decompressive surgeries designed to relieve pressure on pinched nerves in the spinal cord.

Foraminotomy

A foraminotomy is a procedure that involves an incision to open up the foramen to allow more room for the nerves to pass through (-otomy means to cut.)  The foramen are openings on the left and right sides along the vertebrae.  There are several disorders that can cause the nerves to become pinched.  Denegerating or thinning discs can cause the vertebrae to come closer together, decreasing the amount of space in the foramen.  Herniating or bulging discs can also infringe into the foramen as well.

Laminotomy

A laminotomy is a procedure that will cut part of the lamina to decompress pressure on the nerves.  The lamina of the vertebrae are two bony plates that extend to cover the spinal cavity on the posterior side.  This can create more room for the spinal cord and allow he nerves to pass freely.  In more serious cases, there is another type of decompressive surgery called a laminectomy, which is the removal of the lamina.

Fortunately, all of these surgeries are relatively simple with a very high success rate.  With spinal stenosis laser surgery, doctors can perform minimally invasive surgery that only requires a few hours for the patient to recover before they can be released by the hospital.  These procedures can also be done with only local anesthesia, reducing the amount of time needed to recover and be on your way.

For those with advanced spinal stenosis disorders, a foraminotomy and laminotomy are quick, easy and painless surgeries that can instantly improve your health condition.

If you exhibit the symptoms of spinal stenosis, the next step is to see a doctor to diagnose your ailment.  It is difficult to diagnose one with spinal stenosis with just a physical exam because the symptoms can be from other age-related or injury-related problems.  The most common way to test it is to take an MRI scan.  Other scans that can be used are X-rays and CT scans.  If you are indeed diagnosed with spinal stenosis, it is time to discuss treatment options.

Spinal Stenosis Laser Surgery?

The first course of action is usually not surgery.  Instead, a doctor will often suggest analgesics (pain killers).  Over the counter drugs with acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil) can help relieve the pain.  If they are not enough, your doctor can prescribe stronger meds if necessary, such as Percocet or Vicodin.  Another way that does not involve medications is physical therapy.  A physical therapist will have you engage in exercises that will build up the strength and stability of the spine.  If neither of these treatments work, you may try steroid injections to reduce inflammation and pressure.  However, this is not a sustainable treatment option, because numerous steroid injections will weaken the bone and ligaments of the spine.

When to Consider Surgery

In severe cases, spinal stenosis laser surgery may be the best treatment option.  If the affected area is relatively tiny, spine surgery will be a minimally invasive, endoscopic procedure and will be cleared to leave the hospital in just a few hours after the operation.  It is a very precise surgery with a high success rate.  Read more about decompressive surgeries that can allay your spinal stenosis.

How do you know if you have spinal stenosis?  Even if you exhibit symptoms of spinal stenosis, it can still be hard to determine with a simple physical checkup.  The problem is that there are other disorders and conditions that have the same symptoms as spinal stenosis, especially during the beginning stages.  Older people are more likely to develop other degenerative disorders, which can further obfuscate a proper diagnosis.

A doctor will ask you several questions concerning your spinal problems, and may have you perform a simple physical test.  At best, the doctor can only infer that it may be spinal stenosis.  In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor will need to run a scan on you.  A few scans that may be done are:

• X-Rays – Though not as detailed as a CT scan or MRI scan, an X-ray will give a detailed image of the bone structure of the spine.  It can identify other bone related problems, such as a fracture or osteophytes, which are bone spurs that grow in response to damaged and degenerated joint surfaces.  Osteophytes are commonly found among elderly people and athletes suffering from sports injuries.
• CT scan – Computed topography is a more advanced type of scan.  It can give detailed images of the bone structure along with soft tissue, so it is easier to distinguish spinal stenosis.  However, it does not provide as much clarity when capturing the soft tissue.  CT scans produce similar images to MRI machines, but the two have a lot of little differences, such as price, the length of the scan, image clarity, side effects and so on.
• MRI scan – This is the scan of choice.  Though it does not capture the skeletal structure of the body, it produces very clear images of the internal soft tissue, including nerves and muscle.  Using an MRI, it is easy to diagnose and pinpoint exactly where the spinal cord is being compressed.

Computed topography and MRI scans each have their own advantages and drawbacks.  In this scenario, the clear choice for analyzing spinal stenosis are MRI scans.  It can clearly show the nerves in the spine and where the source of the pain is.