Spine procedures explained
What happens, how long recovery takes, the risks, and how to find a real price, from cited sources.
Laminectomy (decompression surgery)
A laminectomy is surgery to remove the lamina, part of the bone that makes up a vertebra, to take pressure off the spinal nerves or spinal cord. It is often done for spinal stenosis; MedlinePlus says surgery may help when symptoms become more severe and interfere with daily life or work. Most people go home the same day or within 1 to 2 days (MedlinePlus).
Read more →Spinal fusion
Spinal fusion joins two or more vertebrae so they heal into a single, solid bone, to stop painful motion or restore stability. The AAOS says it is usually recommended only when the source of pain can be pinpointed, and that full recovery from fusion for low back pain can take more than a year.
Read more →Epidural steroid injection
An epidural steroid injection delivers anti-inflammatory medicine into the space around the spinal nerves to relieve pain that spreads from the spine into a leg or arm. MedlinePlus says it gives short-term relief to at least half of the people who have it. The FDA-approved label for Kenalog-40, an injectable corticosteroid, warns that serious neurologic events, some resulting in death, have been reported after epidural injection.
Read more →Each guide organises information from cited sources (MedlinePlus, AAOS, the FDA and CMS) for general education. It is not medical advice. See the condition guides.