Many people with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) suffer quietly because they fear the invasive nature and long recovery time of major surgery. But today there is a treatment that may provide effective, sustained pain relief with a short, less invasive procedure. It’s called the X-STOP Spacer. This low-risk option may be the treatment you've been waiting for.

The following information describes some critical differences between the X-STOP Spacer and laminectomy. Be sure to consult a spine specialist to discuss your treatment choices.

The X-STOP Spacer

Typical time for the procedure	45 to 90 minutes
Anesthesia	Option to use local anesthesia (97% of procedures)
Length of hospital stay	Less than 24 hours for 96% of procedures. (Many people are up walking the next day.)15
Recovery time—before you should resume physical activities	6 weeks7

Laminectomy

Typical time for the procedure	120 minutes14
Anesthesia	General14
Length of hospital stay	3.5 days on average14
Recovery time—before you should resume physical activities	6 months on average14

Learn more about laminectomy

The X-STOP Spacer lifts the pressure off of pinched nerves to relieve pain

The X-STOP Spacer is a small implant that fits between two bones in the back of your spine to lift the vertebra off the pinched nerve.

The X-STOP Spacer preserves your anatomy.

Unlike laminectomy, the X-STOP Spacer procedure does not require removal of structurally important lamina (bone) or ligaments (soft tissue). That’s why it may offer a short recovery time, a low complication rate, and helps avoid spinal stability issues associated with laminectomy.

The X-STOP Spacer does not interfere with spinal stability.

The Spacer implant does not require rods and screws to remain in place. The Spacer is not attached to the bone or ligaments—and does not come in contact with the spinal cord, nerves, or ligaments.

The X-STOP Spacer procedure does not involve spinal fusion.

On the other hand, sometimes during a laminectomy procedure a spinal fusion needs to be performed as a result of the instability caused by the laminectomy.

Potential for a short hospital stay.

The X-STOP Spacer procedure may be performed with local anesthesia—a benefit for people who should avoid general anesthesia due to age or other health conditions. The procedure may be performed as an outpatient procedure, minimizing the hospital stay. Your surgeon will decide what’s best for you.

Recovery can be rapid.

Since there’s typically no removal of structurally important bone or ligaments, the X-STOP Spacer offers potential for a short recovery time. A clinical study has shown that most patients can perform physical activities without limitations at 2 to 6 weeks.7

Potential for sustained relief from painful symptoms of LSS.

In a clinical study, the X-STOP Spacer was shown to provide rapid, sustained relief of LSS symptoms as compared with nonsurgical care. During a clinical study 6% of X-STOP Spacer patients did not consider their outcomes satisfactory and chose to have a laminectomy.16

Approved for patients who are moderately impaired by LSS symptoms.

The X-STOP Spacer is indicated for patients with moderately impaired ability to function. See the full list of indications for the X-STOP Spacer. Remember, the experience of pain is very personal. In order to classify your condition, your doctor relies on you to report the severity of your symptoms and disability.