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What Problems Can a Laminectomy Resolve?
Most people experience spine-related symptoms, such as back pain, at some point. When the pain continues for months or years and little seems to help, a laminectomy provides a promising solution.
Commonly performed between ages 60 and 70, due to age-related spine changes, this often minimally invasive surgery brings a high success rate and lasting results.
Dr. Nicholas Perenich and his team at Spine Institute of Florida in Dade City and Spring Hill, Florida, provide laminectomies to alleviate stubborn chronic pain and get you back to the lifestyle you enjoy.
Take a few moments to learn more about this procedure, including specific problems it resolves.
How a laminectomy works
Your lamina is the bony arch that protects and supports the back of your spinal cord. A laminectomy removes this arch to relieve pressure on your nerves and create more space in your spinal canal.
Lumbar laminectomies, the most common type, treat nerve pain conditions affecting your low back. Cervical laminectomies address neck issues, and thoracic laminectomies address middle-back conditions.
Problems a laminectomy resolves
Our team may recommend a laminectomy if you’re bothered by back, neck, or shoulder pain that doesn’t resolve with more conservative treatment. Other symptoms that can make a laminectomy ideal include bladder or bowel problems and numbness or weakness in your limbs.
A laminectomy can reduce or decompress nerve pressure to treat a range of conditions, including:
- Arthritis
- Bone fractures
- Bone spurs
- Degenerative spine conditions, such as degenerative disc disease
- Disc herniation
- Spinal stenosis
- Spinal abscesses
- Spinal tumors
Laminectomies are one of the most common surgical treatments for spinal stenosis.
A laminectomy may also be paired with another procedure, such as foraminotomy, discectomy, or spinal fusion.
Laminectomy results
While individual results vary, laminectomies have a 90% success rate. About 75% of recipients report feeling satisfaction with the outcome.
Benefits should become apparent once you’ve healed from the procedure. Minimally invasive laminectomies usually require 4-6 weeks for recovery. If you had a laminectomy along with spinal fusion, recovery may take six months. Throughout your healing process, you’ll likely feel a bit better day by day.
To make the most of your procedure, follow your aftercare instructions, which will recommend specific amounts of rest and activity limitations.
Laminectomy benefits tend to last long-term, often carrying on for more than a decade – depending on factors like your overall health and activity level.
To learn more about laminectomies or find out if you’re a good candidate, call Spine Institute of Florida or schedule an appointment through our website today.