Can lumbar spinal stenosis be treated minimally invasively?

  The spinal canal, through which nerves pass in the spine, is called the spinal canal, and the spine, which supports the body, degenerates over the years, resulting in pathological changes such as bulging discs, osteophytes, and hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum, so that the spinal canal becomes narrowed and is called lumbar spinal stenosis. If this stenosis causes back pain, leg pain, and inability to walk long distances, it is called lumbar spinal stenosis, which generally increases slowly after the age of 50.  In this kind of patients, they cannot walk long distances continuously, but must walk and stop, walk and stop, showing a state of intermittent claudication. Once walking, pain and numbness in the lower extremities appear or worsen, squatting or sitting symptoms are relieved, and cycling without back and leg pain, lumbar spinal stenosis should be highly suspected.  Total laminectomy has long been the standard surgical procedure for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. However, this method is more destructive to the stability of the spine and has a higher incidence of postoperative lumbar pain and lumbar instability, so some doctors have begun to use bilateral laminectomy to treat lumbar spinal stenosis, which is less destructive to the stability of the lumbar spine and can also achieve adequate decompression.  In recent years, with the popularization of lumpectomy, a more minimally invasive surgical method with unilateral access and bilateral decompression has emerged, which has the advantages of unilateral exposure, small incision, little trauma, complete decompression, fast postoperative recovery and little damage to the stability of the spine. Our hospital has successfully carried out minimally invasive treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis in hundreds of cases, with an efficiency rate of over 95%, which is well received by patients.