Lumbar stenosis surgery: the experience of the neurosurgeon.

Even when multiple levels are affected, lumbar canal stenosis can be surgically treated using the microsurgical technique. This microapproach combines the advantage of an efficient decompression of the compromised neurostructures along with the preservation of the spinous processes the interspinous ligaments, the medial section of the yellow ligament as well as of the biomechanically relevant portion of the facet joints. Thus, due to minimal surgical trauma spinal stability is maintained, resulting in reduction of postoperative discomfort and a favorable clinical outcome. We report the results of 35 patients operated on consecutively using the microsurgical technique. Our study further shows that there is a remarkable discrepancy between radiological and clinical evidence of the levels of stenosis.