At CK Birla Hospitals, Kolkata, we understand how spine problems can affect your daily life. Back or neck pain, numbness, or weakness in the arms or legs can make even simple movements difficult. These symptoms are often caused by pressure on the spinal nerves.
One effective way to treat this condition is through a surgery called laminectomy. Our team will help you understand what it is, why it is done, and how it can help relieve your symptoms.
A laminectomy is a type of spine surgery in which a part of the bone called the lamina is removed. The lamina is the back portion of the spinal canal. Removing it creates more room for the spinal cord and nerves.
This extra space helps to reduce pressure on the nerves, which can ease pain, numbness, and weakness. Because it relieves this pressure, the procedure is also known as decompression surgery.
If you have been wondering “what is laminectomy surgery?”, it is simply a surgical method to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves so that you can move more freely and live with less pain.
Laminectomy surgery is recommended when nerve compression causes symptoms that do not improve with medicines, physiotherapy, rest, or injections.
The main goals of this surgery are to relieve nerve pain, improve movement, and prevent long-term nerve damage.
In some cases, a laminectomy is also performed to remove tumours or repair certain spinal injuries.
A laminectomy procedure can be used to treat many spinal conditions that cause nerve compression, including:
Not all back or neck pain needs surgery. But when there is nerve compression, you may notice symptoms such as:
If these symptoms affect your quality of life, medical evaluation is important.
At CK Birla Hospitals, Kolkata, we follow a step-by-step process to diagnose spinal nerve compression:
This complete assessment helps us decide whether laminectomy surgery is the right option for you.
Laminectomy surgery is performed under general anaesthesia, meaning you will be asleep and pain-free during the procedure.
The surgery usually follows these steps:
The duration of the surgery depends on how many levels of the spine need treatment.
Recovery time is different for each person. Most patients stay in the hospital for 1–3 days after surgery. Walking is usually encouraged within 24 hours to support healing.
You can expect:
Full recovery after laminectomy surgery may take several weeks to a few months.
Yes, laminectomy is considered a major surgery, but it is commonly performed and usually safe when done by experienced surgeons.
Most people recover in 4–6 weeks, but complete recovery may take a few months depending on the patient’s condition.
Yes, physical therapy is often recommended to restore movement, strengthen the back, and speed up recovery.
Yes, in some cases, laminectomy can be done using minimally invasive techniques, depending on the patient’s condition.
It can provide long-term relief if the pain is due to nerve compression, but it may not prevent future spine problems.
Spinal fusion is sometimes done along with laminectomy if extra stability is needed in the spine.
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