Dad is 72 and had his first surgery ever less than two weeks ago. They did a laminectomy for spinal stenosis. Although his back pain was better at first, now it’s getting worse everyday. Is this normal? How long do we wait for the pain to go away?

Laminectomy is the removal of part or all of the lamina, a column of bone that helps form an arch around the spinal cord to protect it. Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal, the long tube where the spinal cord goes from the brain down to the end of the spine. Anything that can narrow this space can put pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerve roots. Cutting away the lamina opens up the spinal canal and takes pressure off these neural structures.

Any new symptoms within the first days to weeks after spine surgery should be reported to the surgeon for evaluation. Sometimes patients do report increased low back pain as they start to get up and move around more. This should go away in time.

The presence of other symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, and headache could signal infection. Skin or wound infections are possible. In older adults, urinary tract infections and pneumonia can develop without presenting with typical signs and symptoms. Back pain isn’t a typical sign of infection but it is possible. Check with the surgeon as soon as possible. He or she will be able to let you know what to expect and what to watch out for.