Lumbar laminectomy surgery (also known as a decompression surgery) is used mainly to ease pain and alleviate pressure on the spinal nerves that is caused and associated with spinal stenosis. During the surgery, the physician removes the lamina, which is the back part of the vertebrae that covers the spinal cord. This can help enlarge the spinal canal and relieve pressure. In most cases, this operation is only used to treat vertebrae in the lower back or in the neck. This surgery is usually a last resort option and is performed usually only when medication and physical therapy haven’t worked, or if symptoms increase quickly and dramatically.
