A laminoplasty is a surgical procedure performed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord caused by spinal stenosis, a condition in which there is a narrowing of the spinal canal. The laminoplasty procedure involves cutting into and making a hinge on one side of the laminae, the bones protecting the back of the spinal canal. This is done to create more space, in an attempt to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord.
Your surgeon will make an incision in the back of the neck. After exposing the spine, he/she will use a motorized instrument called a burr to cut two channels vertically on the lamina portion of the vertebra. On one side, the channels are cut all the way through the bone. On the opposite side, the channel is cut only partially through the bone to create a hinge. The side causing the most pressure on the spinal cord or nerves is typically the side where the channels are cut entirely through the lamina.
The lamina, or laminae (plural), is/are then lifted and rotated. This increases the space for the spinal cord and can relieve the compression that may be causing pain or dysfunction.
Maintaining the hinged door opening can be done in various ways. Based on your surgeon’s preferred technique, he/she will utilize suture, donor bone, or a hinged metal plate and screws to keep the lamina/laminae in the elevated, rotated position.
Your surgeon will close the incision and dress it with a wound covering at the conclusion of the surgery. Some patients require a cervical collar, or neck brace, for a short period of time after surgery. As with any surgery, spinal surgery carries certain risks. Your surgeon will explain all the possible complications of the surgery, as well as side effects.