A lumbar puncture operation is performed in the lumbar region of the lower back. During this surgery, a needle is inserted between two bones of the lumbar vertebrae to remove a sample of cerebrospinal fluid. The cerebrospinal fluid is the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord to protect them from injury. It usually takes 30-45 minutes for the entire process.
This surgery is very useful in diagnosing serious infections such as meningitis, central nervous system diseases such as Guillain-Barre syndrome and multiple sclerosis, or cancers of the brain or spinal cord. In a few conditions, doctors use lumbar punctures to inject anesthetic medications or chemotherapy drugs into the cerebrospinal fluid.
Before this surgery, a CT scan is usually carried out to get a detailed picture of the area.