Lumbar spine surgery is a treatment for conditions in the lower back / lumbar spine including disc herniations, arthritis, bone spurs, and joint instability such as bone slippage.

Symptoms

All of these conditions may manifest as back pain, buttock pain, leg pain, urinary dysfunction, radiculopathy, loss of sensation, radiating numbness/tingling. 

Workup

Workup includes in-person clinical evaluation, upright standing X-ray often with dynamic flexion/extension views, and MRI to evaluate the nerve structures. Occasionally supine X-rays may be necessary, as well as CT to assess the bony structures. 

Treatments

Treatments include non-fusion options as well as minimally invasive fusion options. 

Non-fusion includes microscopic and endoscopic foraminotomy and discectomy, laminectomy, laminotomy.

Approaches include the front, side, or back of the spine, or a combination.

‍If you’ve had previous lumbar spine surgery, we always take special care to properly diagnose and often do revision surgeries for pseudarthrosis (non-union or failed-fusion), deformity, and failed instrumentation.