Professional
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
laminectomy
Pronunciation: lam-ih-NEK-toh-mee
Surgical removal of the lamina (posterior arch) of one or more vertebrae to decompress the spinal cord or nerve roots.
Full Definition
A neurosurgical procedure involving the removal of the lamina, the bony portion forming the posterior arch of a vertebra. This procedure creates more space within the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots, commonly performed to treat spinal stenosis, herniated discs, or spinal tumors. The procedure may be performed at single or multiple levels and can be combined with other spinal procedures such as fusion.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish from laminotomy (partial removal) and laminoplasty (reshaping without removal).
In Context
- "The surgeon performed a multilevel laminectomy from L3 to L5 to address the patient's severe spinal stenosis." — operative report
- "Post-laminectomy syndrome refers to persistent pain following decompressive surgery." — clinical documentation
Also known as
decompressive laminectomy
posterior decompression
Don't confuse with
laminotomy
laminoplasty