The diagnosis was spinal stenosis at L4/L5.
Over the 18 or 19 months it took to come to the surgery, the only procedure
offered was a decompressive laminectomy. This was the opinion of several
doctors, including orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons.
Jim and I did not believe that the answer was a laminectomy. That meant part
of his vertebra  would be removed and the prognosis was a hospital stay of
several days and a prolonged recuperation with a not too low possibility of
destabilization of his spine and lifelong pain and drugs.
I did some research on the Internet and found this doctor in Pittsburgh who
had a minimally invasive procedure that preserves the integrity of the
spine, offers faster healing and fewer complications. It is called
endoscopic decompression via microforaminotomy.  You can see the information
at http://www.drjho.com/id33.htm.
We can't speak highly enough of Dr. Jho and what he did for Jim. Jim was up
and walking shortly after the surgery and only had one night in the
hospital. Dr. Jho did three patients that morning.  That afternoon he came
by to check up on them and brought the other two, also walking, into Jim's
room to say hello.
It was great.
Thank you for your good wishes.
Annie

We contacted the doctor roughly a year ago.  He is so busy that we had to
wait until this April to go there for the surgery.  But it certainly was
worth the wait.
Annie