01 — Overview
Decompression treats the space around the nerve rather than the disc alone. Depending on where the compression sits, this can mean removing part of the lamina, thinning a thickened ligament, opening the canal the nerve exits through, or removing disc material. The aim is to relieve the compression while preserving the stabilizing structures.
02 — Who it suits
- Leg symptoms from lumbar stenosis
- Radiating symptoms from foraminal narrowing
- Spinal cord compression in the cervical or thoracic spine
- Patients whose leg symptoms predominate over back pain
03 — How it is done
Through a tube or a small open exposure, the compressive tissue is removed under magnification. The facet joints are preserved where possible, since removing too much of the facet can destabilize the segment and change a decompression into a fusion.
04 — Recovery
Decompression alone is a smaller operation than a fusion, and walking is generally encouraged early. Symptom relief and return to activity vary by patient and by the severity and duration of the compression.
05 — Conditions treated
- Spinal Stenosis A narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses the spinal cord and nerves, causing pain, numbness, and weakness.
- Herniated Disc A condition where the inner gel-like core of a spinal disc bulges out through a tear in the outer layer, causing pain and neurological symptoms.
- Spondylolisthesis & Spinal Instability A condition where a vertebra slips out of place onto the bone below it, causing pain and nerve compression.
- Spinal Tumors Tumors affecting the spine, which can cause pain, neurological deficits, and spinal instability, requiring surgical removal or stabilization.
- Spine Trauma Breaks or cracks in the vertebrae caused by trauma, osteoporosis, or other conditions, leading to pain and potential neurological damage.
Timelines and techniques described here are general. Your own plan depends on your anatomy, your imaging and your medical history, and is decided with you at consultation.
