What is Laminectomy Surgery?
Laminectomy surgery is a procedure used to treat symptoms of spinal stenosis and herniated disks. It relieves compression on the spinal cord by partial or complete removal of the lamina; part of the vertebral bone. Spine surgeons use this surgical procedure to widen the spinal canal or remove bone spurs that compress nerve roots. Different types of laminectomy include:
- Cervical laminectomy: This procedure is performed on the cervical vertebra in the neck.
- Sacral laminectomy: This is performed by removing the lamina on the fused sacral vertebrae.
- Lumbar laminectomy: It involves vertebrae in the lower back which helps relieve pain in the legs and buttocks.
Complications of this type of surgery are rare but there may be a few risk factors that can delay or prevent the success of the surgery. Let’s have a look at them.
Read detailed article on: Lumbar Laminectomy Surgery: Procedure, Risks and Recovery
Risk factors for Lumbar Laminectomy Surgery
Like other surgical procedures, laminectomy also involves some risk factors that may increase the chances of complications during or after the surgery. A few of these risks include:
- Osteoporosis: It is a bone condition that causes weak and brittle bones which leads to easy fractures and breakage of bone tissues.
- Smoking: Smoking will always be discouraged by your spine surgeon before and after surgery because it may cause post-surgical infections. It decreases the efficacy of the surgery and causes pseudarthrosis or non-union of the treated segments if fusion was performed.
- Associated conditions: Lumbar laminectomy is usually performed in the older age group who are likely to have systemic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. The presence of such conditions may slow down the recovery process or lead to systemic complications.
- Mental health issues: Depression, anxiety, or similar mental health issues may result in poor surgical outcomes as it causes poor patient compliance and low pain tolerance. This may affect the overall health of the patient. Therefore it is important for the patient to be psychologically prepared for the surgery.
- Previous surgeries: If you’ve already had previous surgery of the same level, performing a second surgery has a lower success rate.
It is always advisable to discuss prior health issues and concerns with your surgeon before taking a decision to have laminectomy surgery. Your surgeon will address your issues and will also psychologically prepare you for the surgery.
Complications of Lumbar Laminectomy Surgery
Laminectomy procedures rarely lead to severe complications during in-operative procedures or post-surgical problems. A few complications of lumbar laminectomy surgery include:
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak: It is a serious issue that can lead to further complications such as headaches, dizziness, and seizures.
- Neural tissue damage: Injury to nerve roots and dural tears can occur. Depending on the severity, this may result in weakness, paralysis, loss of sensation, or not being able to voluntarily control bowel/bladder movement.
- Adjacent level degeneration: This procedure may cause the adjacent vertebra to degenerate which eventually leads to instability.
- General anesthesia complications: Although it is very rare, heart and/or lung infection, deep vein thrombosis, or death may occur as a result of complications in general anesthesia.
- Continued neurogenic claudication: Pain in the legs or spine may sometimes continue even after successful laminectomy surgery.
Looking for the best spine surgeon in Los Angeles?
The success rate of your lumbar laminectomy surgery depends on how good and experienced your surgeon is. So if you are someone looking for a spine surgeon in Los Angeles, visit Dr. Moksha Ranasinhe at Southern California Brain & Spine Surgery. She is a board-certified neurosurgeon and will listen to your concerns and make an appropriate treatment plan according to your medical condition. For more information, you can visit our website or give us a call at (213) 369-4583.