title: [Surgical treatment of the old with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the perioperative characteristics and surgical methods in treating the old with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2000 to October 2007, 36 patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis with the age more than 60 years,including 16 males and 20 females, the age from 60 to 81 years with an average of 67.5 years. Of all patients, 6 cases were treated by simple surgical decompression, 16 cases by decompressive laminectomy, 20 cases by decompressive laminectomy combined with internal fixation and fusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No death cases occurred during perioperation and complication occurred in 14 cases, including cerebrospinal fluid leakage in 3 cases, incision late healed in 1 case, heart abnormal symptom in 1 case, respiratory infection in 1 case, gastrointestinal symptom in 4 cases, urinary system infection in 1 case, spirital symptom in 1 case. After symptomatic treatment, all complications improved. All the cases were followed up from 6 months to 5 years with an average of 2.5 years. Oswestry scoring improved from preoperative 45.66 +/- 7.12 to postoperative 16.80 +/- 5.75, there was significant difference between before and after operation (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The age and heath condition are not operative absolute contraindication in treating old with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis,with the proper operation modus after controlling concomitant diseases, the surgical treatment could guarantee the satisfactory therapeutic effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Xing
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wei-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zi-Rong
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome