If you’ve been recommended for foraminal narrowing surgery, it’s common for you to have questions about what to expect during your procedure. Prior to your foraminal narrowing surgery, you will have a chance to meet with your surgical team and discuss any questions or concerns you may have.

Foraminal narrowing is a condition that causes the space within a foraminal canal to compress, often leading to a pinched nerve and painful symptoms. The purpose of foraminal narrowing surgery is to restore the proper space within the foraminal canal so the nerve roots can pass through freely. The type of foraminal narrowing surgery you undergo will depend directly on the cause of your condition. For example, if a bulging disc is causing your foraminal narrowing, then surgery will be focused on removing that portion of the disc. Likewise, if the natural aging process has simply caused the canal to narrow, then surgery will focus on removing a small portion of bone to increase room in the canal.

Understanding minimally invasive foraminal narrowing surgery

During minimally invasive foraminal narrowing surgery at USA Spine Care, our surgeons will focus on bringing back the proper space to your foraminal canal without the increased risks of complication associated with traditional open neck or back surgery.

Our procedures are performed through a less than 1-inch incision and spare excessive cutting or tearing of the muscles surrounding the spine, allowing our patients to experience a shorter recovery time^{^} compared to traditional open spine surgery. Traditional open spine surgery uses a large muscle-tearing incision, leading to an increased risk of complication, excessive blood loss and an extended recovery time.

Once our surgeons access the spine, we will remove the damaged portion of the spine that is causing your foraminal narrowing. After your foraminal narrowing surgery is complete, you will be escorted to a recovery area. Patients are typically encouraged to be up and walking within a few hours after their minimally invasive, outpatient surgery is performed.

Next steps

To learn more about what to expect during our minimally invasive foraminal narrowing surgery, contact USA Spine Care today. We can help guide you through your next step toward pain relief and provide you with a no-cost MRI review* to determine if you are a candidate for our procedures.

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