Laminectomy

What Is Laminectomy?

Laminectomy is a surgical procedure to relieve severe back pain by removing the lamina bone from the spinal column.  Caucasian and Hispanic males aged between 45 and 64 tend to suffer from lamina-related back pain with greater frequency.   

After delivering anesthesia, the surgeon makes a small straight incision above the damaged vertebra and uses a retractor to spread the muscles and fatty tissue on the spine.  Upon reaching the laminae, the surgeon cuts away part of the bone to expose the yellow tissue that helps support the spinal column and gaps between the vertebrae.  Making an incision into this tissue, the surgeon exposes the compressed nerve to examine the source of the compression.  This could be the result of a herniated disk, tumor, bone spur, or disk fragment. 

After isolating the problem area, the surgeon takes the necessary steps to remove it.  In the case of bone spurs, the surgeon removes them to enlarge the spinal canal.  In the case of a herniated disk, the surgeon moves the compressed nerve and removes all or part of the disk to relieve the pressure on the nerve.  New connective tissue will eventually grow into the space that is left.  To stabilize the patient’s lower back, the surgeon may apply a spinal fusion, grafting a small piece of the hip bone onto the spine and attaching it with metal screws or plates.  At the end of laminectomy, the surgeon sutures the incision in layers.  Different types of sutures are used for muscles, connective tissues, and skin.   

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