Decompression Surgery of the Lumbar Spine (Lower Back)

see also Lower Back Pain

Decompression surgery is performed to relieve symptomatic compression of the spinal cord or spinal nerves. There are several techniques commonly used to relieve nerve compression:

Laminectomy involves removal of the bony roof (lamina) over the spinal canal to decompress both sides (left and right) of the spinal canal.

Laminotomy is decompression of one side of the spinal canal (left or right) by removing a small portion of the laminar roof over the spinal canal, leaving the majority of the lamina intact.

Microsurgical laminoplasty is the decompression of the spinal canal using microsurgical techniques.