Duration of the surgery
The average duration of the operation is between 60 and 90 minutes from the first skin incision to the last suture. For very experienced surgeons, the duration can also be shorter. However, if complications arise or the anatomical conditions are particularly difficult, the procedure can take considerably longer.
To this must be added the time before the operation, i.e. the infiltration into the operating area and the preparation and execution of the anesthesia, which normally takes about 15 minutes. After the surgery, the anesthesia is drained and you are taken to a recovery room. For a total of about four to five hours after the operation, you only need to lie on your back.
Duration of hospital stay
The expected length of hospital stay for a spinal canal stenosis operation is approximately between seven and ten days. In the evening of the day of the operation, a nurse will usually allow you to get up and go to the toilet for the first time. The rest of the day, however, should be spent lying down, including dinner.
However, this phase of limited mobility usually lasts only through the day of the operation itself. Already on the first day after the operation, you will start to move as normally as possible and should therefore get up regularly and walk short distances at the beginning. Over the duration of the hospital stay, these movements and walking distances should be gradually increased. Discharge is possible when you are able to take on enough stress again to be able to look after yourself at home or at least be transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation facility.
Duration of incapacity to work
The duration of incapacity to work during spinal canal stenosis surgery can vary greatly from individual to individual and depends on various factors. The doctor therefore decides on the length of the certified incapacity to work in consultation with the patient. This depends largely on the profession exercised by the patient.
An office job, for example, will result in less time of incapacity to work than a heavy physical activity. It is important to follow the doctor’s instructions so that the healing process goes as well as possible and the ability to work can be restored soon.On average, a spinal canal stenosis operation can be expected to result in four to six weeks of incapacity to work. In addition, it must be noted that in the first three months after the operation, no more than ten to 15 kilograms may be lifted.
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