FAQs - Lumbar Laminectomy

A:You have a "pinched nerve." A herniated disc and/or arthritis in your back can cause this. The discs are shock absorbers between each vertebra and are close to nerves, which originate in the spine and travel down the legs. If the disc is damaged, part of it may bulge, herniate or even burst free into the spinal canal, putting pressure on the nerve and causing leg pain, numbness or weakness. Bone spurs caused by arthritis can do the same things.

A:The discs or bone spurs putting pressure on your nerve must be removed. This is done by making an incision in the middle of your lower back, moving the muscles covering your spine to the side and making a small window into your spinal canal. The nerve is exposed, moved aside and protected: the protruding disc or bone spur is then removed. This decompresses the nerve and in most cases leads to rapid improvement in the nerve pain, numbness and/or weakness. Sometimes the abnormality may be more extensive, extending over several disc segments and will require a longer incision.

A:The main reason for this operation is pain that is intolerable to the patient. Sometimes increasing nerve problems especially weakness or loss of bowel or bladder control may make the surgery necessary even if pain is not severe. In most cases, nerve dysfunction is not severe and pain can be controlled without surgery. However, if the pain and disability become intolerable, surgery is a way of treating the problem. Since the patient is the one affected by the pain, the patient is usually the one who decides when he or she is ready for surgery.

A:Only the ruptured part and any other obviously abnormal disc material is removed. This usually is no more than 10 to 15% of the entire disc.

A:Laminectomy patients can usually be out of bed several hours after the operation. The majority of patients go home 12 to 24 hours after surgery.

A:Transfusions are rarely needed after this kind of surgery. We do not recommend preoperative donation of your own blood.

A:Most patients get relief of their leg pain. Some patients will continue to have noticeable back pain in some situations and may require additional treatment.

A:There are general risks with any type of surgery. They include, but are not limited to, the possibility of wound infection, uncontrollable bleeding, collections of blood clots in the wound or in the veins of the leg, abdominal problems, pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs) heart attack or stroke. The chances of any of these happening, particularly to a healthy patient, are low.

A:Even if you have excellent relief of pain, a disc will never be completely normal after it has herniated. And if your problem has been caused by arthritis, it cannot be cured even with the removal of bone spurs and decompression of the nerves. You may have more back pain than a normal person would have and there is an increased risk of reherniation of the damaged disc. However, most people can resume almost all of their normal activities after recovering from surgery.