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Spinal decompression / laminectomy
Category: Bone, Joint & Spine Procedures · All bone, joint & spine procedures
What it is
Spinal decompression (including laminectomy) removes bone and thickened ligament from the back of the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves caused by narrowing (spinal stenosis).
Why it is done
It is used for spinal stenosis causing leg pain, heaviness or numbness when walking (neurogenic claudication), and for nerve compression not relieved by conservative treatment.
How to prepare
MRI confirms the narrowing. You will have pre-assessment, blood tests, medication review and fasting. Discuss smoking and diabetes control, which affect healing.
What happens during the procedure
Under general anaesthetic, face down, the surgeon removes the spinous process and lamina (the bony roof) and thickened ligaments over the compressed segment(s), freeing the nerve sac. It takes one to two hours depending on levels treated.
Afterwards — recovery & results
You will walk from the first day, usually going home in one to three days. Leg symptoms often improve over weeks; numbness can take longer and occasionally persists if nerves were compressed for a long time. Gentle mobilisation and physiotherapy guide recovery; full recovery takes a few months.
Risks & considerations
Risks include infection, bleeding, spinal fluid leak from a tear in the nerve sac, nerve injury, blood clots, and instability occasionally needing fusion later. Your surgeon will set out your individual risk-benefit discussion.
Watch: Spinal decompression / laminectomy videos
Real procedure videos from the MedicalVideos.com library. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from a discectomy?
Discectomy removes a disc fragment pressing on one nerve. Decompression widens a narrowed canal, usually from arthritis and thickened ligaments, affecting nerves over a segment.
Will I need a fusion too?
Only if the spine is unstable or the required decompression would make it so. Many stenosis patients need decompression alone, which preserves more movement.
Related procedures — Bone, Joint & Spine Procedures
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