@oveanlover1224 Welcome to Connect. I know it is daunting to receive a diagnosis and surgical plan that doesn't sound like it has great potential for pain relief. Another consideration is loss of function. With severe lumbar stenosis putting a lot of pressure on nerves or the spinal cord, what are the functions that will be damaged if the spinal cord is not decompressed? Did your surgeon explain what your future may look like if you do not have spine surgery?

No one wants spine surgery, and I understand that as patients, we want some kind of guarantee, but a surgeon can't usually promise that. They don't know how much damage has already happened and when is the point of loss when the nerves simply die and these functions are lost. It may be the ability to walk or bladder or bowel control and that may be permanent and unfixable with surgery later. Sometimes because of the damage, a patient still has pain even though surgery removed the compression, and there is also the scar tissue from the surgery that can become tight and cause pain. For that, a physical therapist can probably help with myofascial release to stretch out tight tissue.

If you become disabled, are you prepared to live life coping with the disability? There may be a cost for caregivers or nursing aides if you are unable to function on your own. Insurance doesn't usually pay for a service like that, and there may need to be modifications to your home. My parents were both in wheelchairs, and I was saddled into being their caregiver and basically had to give up my ability to earn a living to take care of my aging parents. There is a lot to think about. I know it is hard to surrender to the loss of what your abilities used to be before your spine condition started to take it away, and having to make a choice when you are unsure of what the outcome will be. That is a tough choice for anyone, so take a deep breath, and learn all that you can.

Lumbar surgery is more involved and as you've been told, has a lesser statistic for success. Your doctor may define successful surgery differently from you. They won't promise you will be pain free. I had cervical spine surgery (which is a lot easier) and my surgeon didn't promise that either. I do know that I am grateful to have had the choice to avoid the disability that would have been my future. To make a well-informed choice, you do need several surgical opinions. Sometimes they do a laminectomy to ease pressure on the cord; sometimes a fusion which is a harder recovery. It depends on what the structural problems are that are causing the compression and weakness.

You can always state the suggested plan here for discussion with other members who may have had similar experiences. Your experience will be different from others because patients don't have the same degree of spine conditions, the same health issues in addition to the spine issues, age, or pain tolerance. You do have to take your best guess as to what you think may help you the most as it is your choice on what you do for your future. Not choosing surgery, is a different choice all together, and you need to understand that too and the risks it may bring and how soon. Your surgeon may not be able to answer that specifically, but they should have seen cases and have general knowledge of what may happen in your future without intervention. Please understand that I'm not trying to shock you, but to be to be honest. I do wish you the best possible outcome.