Overview of Procedure

A Lumbar Laminectomy is an orthopedic and neurological surgical operation performed to treat Spinal Stenosis, which is the narrowing of the spinal canal.

During a laminectomy, an incision is made in the lower portion of the back (lumbar), and a portion of bone, called the lamina, is removed from one or more vertebrae, relieving pain and pressure on the nerve roots and the spinal cord, caused by Lumbar Stenosis.

First, the external part of the vertebral bone that protrudes from the vertebrae (the bones you feel when you touch the middle portion of your lower back) is removed. The damaged bone covering and protecting the spinal canal, called the Lamina, is then removed, relieving most of the pressure on the spinal canal and nerve roots. Any bone that is putting pressure on the spinal canal and nerve roots is removed.


The Right Candidates

Surgical Advisor will be delighted to help you find a leading expert in Spinal Surgery to consult with. Your surgeon will carry out a thorough evaluation of your condition and provide you with a comprehensive explanation of the most appropriate surgical solution.

Our Expert Consultant Orthopaedic and Neuro Surgeons are most carefully selected and recommended because they understand the importance of the decision you are making when contemplating complex spinal surgery and because of their specialist Spinal Surgery expertise. Throughout your consultation you will therefore be encouraged to ask as many questions as you wish and to take your time in making a decision to proceed with any recommended treatment.

To ensure that patients are comfortable with any recommendations or advice given in their consultation, all patients are asked to go away after a consultation and think through all the information they have received. If for whatever reason you are still not sure about the best course of action and wish to have further dialogue with your surgeon, you will not be expected to pay for a second consultation appointment.


Risks and Side Effects

Although Laminectomy Surgery is regularly performed without any complications, it is very important that all candidates are fully aware of both the benefits and risks of undertaking this type of specialist and complex spinal surgery.
 
All surgery, no mater how expertly or carefully it is performed, carries risks and the importance of a full evaluation and consultation to discuss your condition in relation to these risks with an expert in Spinal Surgery cannot be over emphasised.


Surgery

First, two to five inch long incision is made along the back, and the left and right back muscles is dissected off the lamina on both sides at different levels.

Second, after the lamina is removed (laminectomy), allowing the nerve roots to be visible.

Lastly, then the facet joints, which are directly above the nerve roots, may be trimmed to give the nerve roots more space.

Recovery

Recovering from such spinal surgeries, like a laminectomy or fusion can be very painful, and require the longest recovery time in comparison to other spinal surgeries. Patients are usually put on pain medications or even a PCA (patient controlled analgesia) or an epidural to relieve the pain for the first 2-3 days while in the hospital. A combination of heavy pain killers and muscle relaxants are recommended to the patient. The back muscles are commonly effected after spine surgery because of their size.

In some cases the patient must stay in the ICU (intensive care unit) for 1-2 days to be monitored around the clock. A drainage tube may be used to drain excess fluid around the operated area and the incisions will be covered with a bandage, which will be changed daily.

Those with certain medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure or obesity will have a more difficult time recovering and may not experience the best results of the surgery.


Results

Generally patients are able to walk the next day with assistance from a physical therapist. Elderly patients will recover slower than their younger counterparts, and will often require extra care, whether it be in their own home or at a nursing facility. As soon as the patient is able to do daily activities, such as making the bed, putting on shoes, dressing and showering, the patient will be sent home.