Lumbar stenosis is one of the most common reasons older adults see a spine surgeon. When walking distance collapses and nonoperative care is no longer enough, decompression can restore independence.
Dr. Li prefers muscle-sparing ULBD — a unilateral laminotomy that decompresses both sides of the canal — when fusion is not required. Patients with Parkinson’s disease or those who may need future procedures often benefit from avoiding an unnecessary fusion.
Cervical stenosis that compresses the spinal cord (myelopathy) is treated differently: the goal is to protect the cord with laminoplasty, disc replacement, or decompression and fusion, depending on alignment and number of levels.