@sand40 Welcome to Connect. The spinal canal varies in size at different levels. Narrowing may be caused by ruptured discs or bone spur growth inside the canal or a thickened ligament on the back side. The spinal cord floats in fluid and needs to be able to move when you change body position. If the stenosis narrows the canal so much that the spinal cord is compressed or cannot move, that is a problem and likely a patient would need surgery. That was my situation with a ruptured disc at C5C6 along with bone spurs pressing unto my spinal cord. I had a fusion that replaced the bad disc with a bone disc spacer which relieved the pressure on the spinal cord.

Are you having pain or symptoms of balance or dysfunction? What level has this measurement? Are you considering getting other surgical opinions? I think your surgeon is waiting to see if this changes, but another surgeon may not wait to offer surgery. I realize that is a fear-provoking development. I was also a very fearful patient, and I learned how to get past the fear and this surgery gave me my life back. It wasn't as bad as I imagined it could be.

Here is a link that explains typical spinal canal measurements. https://radiopaedia.org/articles/spinal-canal