Laminectomy

An opening over the nerve or spinal cord is performed to relieve compression of those structures. The terms laminectomy and laminotomy correlate to the location of said opening in the posterior elements of the spine and their size. This is also a type of decompression.

laminectomies have been the primary way to treat lumbar spinal stenosis. A laminectomy is a more invasive method with the aim to decrease the total amount of pain and numbness associated with lumbar spinal stenosis.It is a surgery that eliminates the entire lamina to allow the nerves around this region to function properly.Laminectomies also often produce a longer recovery time as well as a greater risk for post-operative complications. There is typically more damage to the surrounding muscle tissue accompanied by a laminectomy. Since a laminectomy involves the excision of the entire lamina, a laminectomy will usually cause more spinal instability than a laminotomy. When going with the option of laminotomy, the procedure reduces the total amount of muscle severed. Because a laminotomy does not damage the spinous process and critical ligaments, there is not as much muscle weakness, pain, and lumbar instability seen with laminectomies. Laminotomies are fairly new compared to laminectomies, and it involves using less invasive methods with precise instruments to minimize the risk of tissue damage.