@dalton7 My cousin who is an 80 year old man had a laminectomy lumbar spine surgery and he did great. He was walking right away, and only on pain medicine for a week. He improved a lot in the first 2 weeks and at the end of the first month, he was pretty much pain free. Just being 72 probably isn't going to prevent surgery unless there are other health issues complicating it and raising the risks. This would be something to ask your doctors and how everything about your health may affect your ability to recover.

Jennifer