Walking is the best activity you can do for the
first 6 weeks after surgery
. You should start out slowly and work up to walking 30 minutes at least twice a day. Do not be surprised if you require frequent naps during the day.
What are the restrictions after a laminectomy?
Avoid strenuous activities, such as bicycle riding, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, until your doctor says it is okay.
Do not drive for 2 to 4 weeks after your surgery
or until your doctor says it is okay. Avoid riding in a car for more than 30 minutes at a time for 2 to 4 weeks after surgery.
How long is laminectomy recovery?
Complete recovery may take
4 to 6 weeks or a few months
after a lumbar laminectomy depending on the age and general health of the patient and the number of segments treated.
Is a laminectomy a major surgery?
Laminectomy is a common but major surgery with significant risks and potential complications
. You may have less invasive treatment options available.
What is the success rate of a laminectomy?
Laminectomy enlarges your spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves, and has about an
80 percent success rate
at improving walking abilities.
How bad is the pain after a laminectomy?
Unfortunately, some 20% of patients report
ongoing back pain
following spinal surgery. Lack of pain relief after spinal surgery is called post-laminectomy syndrome, or failed back syndrome. Patients with post-laminectomy syndrome often live with chronic pain and disability, which can cause significant distress.
Do you need physical therapy after a laminectomy?
In general, you should expect to start
physical therapy 4 to 6 weeks after your lumbar laminectomy
or discectomy. If there were any post-operative complications like infection or excessive bleeding, then you may need to wait a bit longer.
How long before nerve pain goes away after laminectomy?
Sometimes this is a temporary condition as the nerve root or roots take time to heal. This
can take days to weeks
. If the pain is still there after 3 months, it is unlikely to improve on its own.
What is the fastest way to recover from back surgery?
- Practice Proper Back Care. Spinal fusions may require more bed rest than other kinds of spine surgeries. …
- Engage in Pain-Relief Activities. …
- Maintain a Healthy Diet. …
- Internalize Recovery Habits. …
- Keep Your Physical Therapy Appointments.
How do you sleep after a laminectomy?
It is generally OK after back surgery to
sleep in whatever position is most comfortable
. Some prefer to sleep on one side or the other with a pillow between their knees and/or behind them to support the back.
Why do Laminectomies fail?
Why Post-Surgical Pain Occurs
There are a variety of factors that may cause Post-Laminectomy Syndrome: In many cases, the spinal nerve root, which has been decompressed by the surgery,
simply does not fully recover from its prior trauma
and continues to be a source of chronic nerve pain or sciatica.
Is laminectomy high risk surgery?
As with any surgery, the risks of infection,
sepsis
, and severe bleeding may occur during or after open lumbar laminectomy surgery.
What are the side effects of laminectomy?
- Bleeding.
- Infection.
- Medical or anesthesia problems.
- Blood clots.
- Nerve damage.
- Spinal fluid leak.
- Bowel or bladder problems (incontinence).
- Worsening back pain.
Can a laminectomy fail?
If you have a failed laminectomy, you may hear it referred to as both “
post laminectomy syndrome
” and “failed back surgery syndrome.” Both of these terms are interchangeable, and simply imply that pain has come back after some type of spine surgery. In medical terms post laminectomy syndrome is a type of FBSS.
Is back surgery worth the risk?
Back surgery might be an option if conservative treatments haven’t worked and your pain is persistent and disabling. Back surgery often more predictably
relieves associated pain or numbness
that goes down one or both arms or legs. These symptoms often are caused by compressed nerves in your spine.
How common is laminectomy?
Lumbar laminectomy continues to be one of the most common lumbar procedures performed for spinal stenosis. According to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), the annual estimate of laminectomy discharges averages
around 34 discharges per 100,000 adults
from 1998 to 2008.
