Minimally Invasive Laminectomy

Why Do I Need a Laminectomy?

Your spine surgeon may recommend minimally invasive laminectomy if you’re experiencing symptoms that haven’t responded to conservative forms of treatment for back pain, including:

• Difficulty walking or standing
• Worsening numbness or weakness
• Unrelieved pain that’s impacting your quality of life
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Pain that radiates down one or both legs

Minimally invasive laminectomy is done to treat conditions related to pressure on the spinal cord. The procedure relieves lower back pain, middle back pain and neck pain when you suffer from conditions that include:

• A herniated disc in your lower back, mid-back or neck area
• A compressed nerve in your neck, middle back or lower back
• Spinal stenosis in your neck or your lower back

What Are the Benefits of Laminectomy Minimally Invasive Surgery?

You may be uneasy at the thought of having spine surgery because of the possible risks involved or the long recovery period.

Compared to traditional open surgery, however, minimally invasive surgery has several benefits, including:

• Smaller incisions
• Reduced chance of infection
• Reduced risk of muscle or soft-tissue damage
• Shorter recovery period
• Less post-operative pain

The goal of minimally invasive laminectomy surgery is to provide pain relief as quickly as possible. It’s also much less traumatic to your body than open surgery. At NU-Spine, Dr. Skovrlj uses minimally invasive treatment methods whenever possible.

How Is Minimally Invasive Laminectomy Surgery Performed?

Minimally invasive laminectomy surgery may be performed on an outpatient basis. The steps of this procedure follow a pattern, such as:

• Your neurosurgeon numbs the area with a local anesthetic. You may be given a sedative to help you feel calm.
• Your doctor makes a small incision near the area that needs to be treated.
• Muscles and ligaments are pushed aside rather than being cut.
• Instruments, including a tiny camera and light, are inserted through the small incision.
• Your surgeon uses computer instruments to guide the surgical tools to the correct vertebra.
• All or part of the lamina is removed, as needed.
• When repairs are complete, your spine doctor removes the instruments, stitches the incision closed and covers the area with a bandage.

The specific steps needed for your condition may vary. If all or part of an adjacent intervertebral disc is also removed, the procedure is called a minimally invasive laminotomy ACDFdiscectomy. If your spine needs to be stabilized using spinal fusion after the lamina is removed, it’s called minimally invasive laminectomy and fusion.

What Can I Expect After Minimally Invasive Laminectomy Surgery?

Minimally invasive laminectomy surgery is an outpatient procedure, so you should be able to go home the same day. You may notice pain relief right away.

Follow your doctor’s post-op instructions, which may include avoiding certain activities for a short period of time, such as:

• Strenuous exercise
• Pushing or pulling heavy objects
• Driving
• Lifting and bending

Physical therapy may be recommended to help to improve your strength and flexibility more quickly while reducing any post-operative pain. Let your doctor know if your pain increases or if you experience swelling, bleeding or any other symptoms that cause you to feel concerned.