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A laminectomy that is performed in the lower back is called a lumbar laminectomy. If it is performed in the middle of the back, it’s called a thoracic laminectomy. And if it’s performed in the neck, it’s called a cervical laminectomy. The procedure is the same, it’s just performed in different parts of the spine. Sometimes, instead of removing the entire lamina, the surgeon will only remove part of the lamina or half of it. This often happens when a patient has pain just in one leg or in one arm. This partial laminectomy is called a hemilaminectomy. A laminectomy is one of the most common procedures in surgery and is likely the first spinal surgical procedure ever performed. A laminectomy can be performed for a condition called spinal stenosis. This is one of the most common spinal conditions affecting people above the age of 50 and those people who may have what’s called congenital stenosis. Not every person with spinal stenosis needs surgery. In fact, there are many people who may have spinal stenosis and may not even know that they have the condition.
