Lumbar neuroplasty (L-PEN)
Spine surgery
Spine (neck · lower back) · 허리 (요추)
Under local anaesthetic at the tailbone, a special catheter under 2 mm across is threaded up to the nerve affected by the disc or the stenosis, its position followed on a mobile X-ray unit. Anti-adhesion agent, local anaesthetic and steroid are delivered through the catheter to free the adhesions and settle the inflammation around the nerve. It is a non-surgical option to try before surgery when medication and injections have not worked.
Anesthesia, hospital stay and recovery time depend on the extent of injury and your general condition. The operating surgeon explains this after the consultation.
When it is used
- A lumbar disc that has not responded to medication or injections
- Spinal stenosis with continuing leg numbness and pain
- Back pain that persists after spine surgery
- Long-standing low back pain
Lumbar neuroplasty (L-PEN) — benefits
- It is done under local anaesthetic at the site, with no general anaesthesia.
- The procedure takes only 15 to 20 minutes.
- You can go home the same day and return to ordinary activity.
- There is no incision, so no scar is left.
Process
How surgery proceeds
This is the shared pathway for the Surgery Center. Details for each procedure are covered in the consultation.
- 01
Precise diagnosis
MRI and CT are taken the same day and read by a radiologist that same day.
- 02
Surgical consultation
The operating surgeon explains in person why surgery is needed, what the alternatives are and how recovery is expected to go.
- 03
Surgery · inpatient care
The operation is performed in the annex theatre, and recovery is managed on the ward as the condition requires.
- 04
Rehabilitation · follow-up
After discharge the same team continues to follow your progress and rehabilitation in the outpatient clinic.