Surgery for central lumbar spinal canal stenosis has increased approximately 40% in Australia over the last decade, costing over $136 million every year
(estimates based on NSW data in 2013). According to our recent hospital data analysis, the typical patient undergoing surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis in
Australia is 70 years of age, male, will stay in hospital for a week post-surgery and can pay up to $190,000 for the procedure. He will have 1 in 50 chance of
developing important complications, such as cardiac arrest or pulmonary embolism. However, the efficacy of surgical decompression, the most popular
procedure for spinal stenosis, has not yet been proven, as it has never gone through high level of scientific scrutiny establishing its efficacy or safety beyond
placebo effects. The SUcceSS trial aims to randomly allocate 160 patients with chronic, symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis to either decompressive surgery
or placebo surgery. The primary outcome will be pain and a cost-effectiveness analysis will be included in the study. The team of investigators has an
outstanding record of completing large-scale funded studies on time, including placebo-controlled trials of surgery; and publishing in leading journals. We
have consulted with 7 surgeons who have been closely involved in the design of the study and will participate in its conduct - 5 of them are also investigators
in this proposal. Participants will be recruited from participating hospitals in New South Wales and Victoria.