A lumbar laminectomy, or lumbar decompression, is performed to treat spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal that puts pressure on the nerves in the lower back, which causes symptoms in nearly 500000 Americans over the age of 50. Used to manage related conditions involving deformities of the vertebrae, such as spondylolisthesis or scoliosis, a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is an innovative, sometimes safer, more efficient alternative to other anterior and posterior-approach fusion procedures. Both conditions cause pain and weakness in the lower back and legs, leading to walking difficulty in many patients. The conditions occur as people age because ligaments around the spine thicken and the discs, or cushions, between the vertebrae start to deteriorate. During the surgery, an incision will be made in the patient’s back, but surgeons will approach the spine from the side, minimizing the nerve manipulation required to access the vertebrae, discs and nerves. They will remove bone and ligament from the spine to open the spinal canal and relieve pressure on the nerve roots which has been caused by stenosis. Next, the surgeons will perform a TLIF to fuse the spine where one vertebra has slipped forward onto the vertebra below it. (This generally occurs with spondylolisthesis, but in the case of the webcast patient it has been caused by complications from scoliosis.) Some vertebral bone will be removed to reduce nerve exposure, and then the pain-causing …