Laminectomy

Laminectomy is a surgical procedure for treating spinal stenosis, a medical condition in which the spinal cord narrows, compressing the spinal cord and nerves. This is usually due to the natural process of spinal degeneration that occurs with aging. It can also be caused by spinal disc herniation, osteoporosis, or a tumor. Spinal stenosis may affect the cervical spine, the lumbar spine or both. Lumbar spinal stenosis results in low back pain as well as pain or abnormal sensations in the legs. A laminectomy relieves the pressure on the spinal cord by removing or trimming the lamina of the vertebra to widen the spinal canal and create more space for the spinal nerves.