Laminoplasty is a spinal surgery that may be recommended in severe cases of spinal stenosis. The goal of laminoplasty is to relieve pressure in the spinal canal, and thus relieve the pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling that is common in cases of spinal stenosis.
Spinal stenosis symptoms are caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal that occurs when bone spurs, arthritis, herniated discs, and other age-related conditions infiltrate the spinal column and press nerve roots or the spinal cord. When this degeneration first occurs, a patient may receive a combination of physical therapy, medications, and injections to stop the pain and discomfort. If a patient does not find relief through non-surgical treatments, then surgical options like laminoplasty may be explored.
The objective of laminoplasty is to open space in the spinal canal by cutting through a part of the vertebrae called the lamina. This narrow piece of bone is cut open on one side and partially cut on the other, which allows surgeons to create a flap that can be propped open. This increases the amount of space in the spinal column and theoretically releases entrapped nerves.
Laminoplasty is reserved for those patients with severe spinal stenosis, which means the condition has greatly limited a patient’s ability to live a normal life. Your doctor may recommend this open-back surgery if you have significant nerve damage or if non-surgical spinal stenosis treatments do not reduce the pain.
Since it is a traditional open-back surgery, laminoplasty comes with its share of risks and complications. After about 5 hours in surgery, patients will need to be hospitalized for several days, and then will receive inpatient physical therapy for several more days. Patients are usually in a lot of pain and incapacitated for months while they heal.
Fortunately, there are other options available for spinal stenosis pain relief. We at Laser Spine Institute offer minimally invasive, outpatient procedures that can stop nerve impingement in the spinal canal and have you back on your feet in hours instead of months – ready to face the world and get your functioning lifestyle back again. For a free MRI or CT scan review, and to learn more information about our institute, contact us today.
