Medical Questions » Back Problems Questions » Question No. 120
| Question: | I have had back pain for many years, and I am always taking pain-killing tablets. My doctor wants me to have a laminectomy, which he says will cure my problem. What sort of operation is a laminectomy? |
| Answer: | Your back is made of 24 vertebrae. The vertebra has a body which is the main weight-bearing part, and there is a bony framework behind the body that protects the spinal cord. The part of this framework nearest the skin is called the lamina.
If the vertebrae are damaged by arthritis or injury, the spinal cord and/or the nerves running from it may become compressed. This leads to pain and weakness in the part of the body that the nerve supplies.
The removal of the lamina (a laminectomy) eases the pressure on the cord and nerves, and stops the pain. It causes no long-term problems and is often combined with an operation to fuse together the vertebrae above and below the site of the laminectomy. This prevents movement between two or more vertebrae, and stops the cause of arthritic pain in the back. |
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