Spinal stenosis. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Spinal stenosis usually appears in old age. What is the maximum age for surgery?

The surgical techniques used in the treatment of spinal stenosis are very gentle and do not cause major blood loss. Elderly patients can therefore undergo this procedure providing their condition is good to normal for their age. The oldest patient to be operated on for a lumbar spinal stenosis in our statistics was 96 years old. After all, more than one third of our patients are over 75 years of age.

Is there a risk of becoming paraplegic (wheelchair) from a spinal stenosis operation?

It may be easier to understand when you compare a spinal stenosis operation with a plane trip. Flights have "complications" too: delays, lost baggage and plane crashes. Based on our daily experience, we know that the frequency of these complications is inversely proportional to their level of severity. In other words, less serious complications occur more often and serious complications are more rare. Following this line of thought, the following complications are possible as a result of spinal stenosis surgery: Infection in the wound, post-operative bleeding, temporary or incomplete weakness or numbness in an arm or leg or quadriplegia/paraplegia. The frequency of complications is also inversely proportional to their level of severity here, i.e., you are less likely to experience serious complications. Just as with the aviation business, a great amount of safety measures are carried out by trained personnel at the operating table to keep the risk of serious complications to an absolute minimum.

Does a spinal stenosis return after an operation?

Usually not. However, it is possible that the adjacent segments that were only slightly narrowed at the time of the operation will become more narrow as the years go by and that an operation will later be necessary at these levels.

Does the spine become stiff when the cervical spine discs are replaced with fixed implants?

Cervical spinal stenosis mainly appears when patients are in their 50´s. At this point in time, patients will already have a slight restriction in cervical spine mobility. If 2 discs are replaced with an artificial fixed implant, the effects on cervical spine mobility are generally not worth mentioning. Longer fusion operations cause minor stiffness when lowering the chin to the chest (cervical flexion). Turning the head to the left and the right as well as tilting the head to the side remain unaffected.

Diagnostics & Treatment

Specialist orthopaedic, neurological or neurosurgical examination is indicated when the listed symptoms occur.

Diagnostics & Treatment

Specialist Clinics

Specialist Clinics

These specialist clinics and hospitals have qualified physicians and therapists for the treatment of spinal stenosis.

Specialist Clinics

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