A laminectomy is a surgical procedure to relieve pressure on your nerves by removing the arched back piece of your vertebrae. Pressure on your spinal cord and nerves can cause pain, numbness or tingling in your back, arms and legs. Laminectomy enlarges the spinal canal to ease pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.

Understanding the Context

Laminectomy is often done as part of a decompression surgery to relieve pressure. What Is Laminectomy? Laminectomy is a type of spinal decompression surgery where a surgeon removes the bony arch from one or more of your spinal bones (vertebrae). Laminectomy is a type of surgery in which a surgeon removes part or all of the vertebral bone (lamina).

Key Insights

This helps ease pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve roots that may be caused by injury, herniated disk, narrowing of the canal (spinal stenosis), or tumors. Watch a step-by-step overview on how laminectomy surgery is performed to alleviate pain caused by neural impingement resulting from spinal stenosis. A laminectomy is a surgical procedure that removes a portion of a vertebra called the lamina, which is the roof of the spinal canal. It is a major spine operation with residual scar tissue and may result in postlaminectomy syndrome. A lumbar laminectomy is a surgery that treats compression of the spinal cord in your lower back.

Final Thoughts

The surgery involves removing all or part of your vertebra called the lamina. Laminectomy is a common surgical procedure used to treat spinal stenosis, a condition in which your spinal canal narrows, placing pressure on nerves and causing pain. Specifically, laminectomy involves removing a portion of the vertebra called the lamina to relieve this compression.