Your surgeon and anaesthetist will explain what will happen during the operation. You'll be admitted to hospital either on the day of your operation or the day before. Read more about having an operation (surgery) and general advice about going into hospital as a patient.

Lumbar decompression surgery is carried out either by a neurosurgeon or an orthopaedic surgeon with experience in spinal surgery. You should be told who will be doing your operation and you may be introduced to them. This assessment is a good opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have or ask questions about your operation. You'll be asked to attend a pre-operative assessment appointment a few days or weeks before your operation.ĭuring this appointment, you may have some blood tests and a general health check to make sure you're fit for surgery, as well as an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of your spine. To help you recover from your operation and reduce your risk of complications, it helps if you're as fit as possible before surgery.Īs soon as you know you're going to have lumbar decompression surgery, it's advisable to stop smoking (if you smoke), eat well and take regular exercise. Read our guide to NHS waiting times in England. Your doctor or surgeon should be able to tell you how long you're likely to have to wait. If you and your consultant decide you could benefit from lumbar decompression surgery, you'll be put on a waiting list.

Bulged disk xray