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May 24, 2013
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Lumbar Laminectomy (cont.)

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During the Procedure

  • Usually you will be placed in a kneeling position to reduce the weight of your abdomen on your spine.
    • The surgeon will make a straight incision over the desired vertebrae and down to the lamina, the bony arches of your vertebrae.
    • The doctor removes the ligament joining the vertebrae along with all or part of the lamina. The goal is to see the involved nerve root.
    • The doctor pulls the nerve root back toward the center of your spinal column and removes the disk or part of the disk.
    • The doctor closes the incision. Your large back muscle now protects your spine or nerve roots.
  • The surgery takes one to three hours. You lose very little blood.

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Lumbar Laminectomy - Recovery

The eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:

What was the recovery period for your lumbar laminectomy?

Chronic Pain/Back Pain

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Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease »

Descriptions of treatment for low back pain (LBP) date to Hippocrates (460-370 BCE), who reported joint manipulation and use of traction.

Read More on Medscape Reference »


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