I would be interested in hearing what people have to say about this also. I just had an open lumbar decompression of L4-5, L5-S1 for central canal stenosis and bilateral medial facetectomy at both levels as well as a Microdissection. I was having debilitating nerve pain in my left glute, all the way down my leg to include my ankle, foot and toes with numbness and my skin was so sensitive at times that I couldn’t even touch it. I was not able to stand or walk for more than 30 seconds before the pain became so intense I had to sit or lie down.

2 weeks post surgery, I would say ~90% of the pain is gone. I don’t want to jinx myself, because I know it’s early in the recovery but I am hopeful. Long story, a friend had similar symptoms (maybe not as debilitating) and he had a minimally invasive laminectomy the week before me. I would like to know the specifics around choosing one over the other, the M-A surgery obviously is a less extensive process and quicker recovery.