ask: How long does recovery from spinal stenosis surgery take?

Dear Meg29

Thank you for your question and welcome!

From our Encyclopedia:

Surgery is reserved for severe cases.

Decompression laminectomy —the removal of bony spurs or increased bone mass in the spinal canal. This can free up space for the nerves and the spinal cord.
Spinal fusion —two vertebrae (back bones) are fused together. This will provide stronger support for the spine. This is almost always done after decompression laminectomy.
Read more on our Spinal Stenosis page here:
http://www.empowher.com/media/reference/spinal-stenosis

All surgery is dangerous for numerous reasons and spinal surgery is certainly a serious treatment. Surgery is usually done as a last resort, not an initial option. What have you done so far, in terms of treatment?

You may need physical therapy after your surgery - based on how you recover from surgery and how well the surgery went. Your surgeon will outline a plan for you based on your individual case. The same with a possible rehab center. Make sure your insurance covers that, if needed as it's very expensive!

I have a couple of articles that can also help you, you can check them out here:

http://www.empowher.com/news/herarticle/2010/02/24/spinal-stenosis-treat...

You'll need to spend some time with your doctor discussing the merits of such surgery and your own particular medical history.

Does this information help you?