It's important to tell your doctor and nurse right away if you have problems. It can take up to 6 weeks until the general pain and tiredness after the operation completely disappear. Depending on the type of work you do, you may be discharged to return to a light job at the end of the second week. In most cases, three weeks is more typical.
Sometimes this is a temporary condition, because the nerve root or roots take a long time to heal. This can take days to weeks. If the pain persists after 3 months, it is unlikely to get better on its own. Most people experience a decrease in leg symptoms immediately after surgery.
Your doctor will encourage you to walk and stay active. Usually, the incision heals for the next 2 to 3 weeks, and the pain should continually improve as healing progresses. Other surgeries considered as spinal decompression are lumbar discectomy and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. As you position yourself on your stomach during lumbar decompression surgery, you will rest on your forehead and chin while the operation is performed.
Recovery after lumbar decompression surgery will depend on your physical condition and your activity level before surgery. Surgery aims to improve symptoms, such as persistent pain and numbness in the legs caused by pressure on the nerves in the spine. As with all types of surgery, there is a risk of dying during or after lumbar decompression surgery, although this is rare. They are usually benign (not cancerous), but growing tumors can compress the spinal cord and nerve roots, causing pain.
When you wake up after lumbar decompression surgery, you may feel pain in your back and you may connect to one or more tubes. The goal of lumbar decompression surgery is to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves, while maintaining as much of the strength and flexibility of the spine as possible. For patients who have ongoing leg pain after spinal decompression surgery, alternative causes of pain should be sought. Paralysis is a rare but serious complication that can occur as a result of lumbar decompression surgery.
About 1 in 20 to 100 people who have lumbar decompression surgery will develop new numbness or weakness in one or both legs as a result of the operation. Lumbar decompression surgery is generally effective in relieving symptoms such as pain and numbness in the legs. Lumbar decompression surgery is performed by a neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon with experience in spinal surgery. If you and your consultant decide that you could benefit from lumbar decompression surgery, you will be placed on the waiting list.
As soon as you know you are going to undergo lumbar decompression surgery, it is advisable to stop smoking (if you smoke), eat a healthy and balanced diet, and exercise regularly. Lumbar decompression is usually performed under general anesthesia, which means that you will be unconscious during the procedure and will not feel any pain while it is being performed.
