Why Is a Laminotomy Done After a Lumbar Fusion?

A lumbar fusion is a procedure in which a surgeon takes two or more vertebrae bones and puts them together using bone material. The two vertebrae are thus fused together into one bone. This is done to strengthen the back when a disc has degenerated or needs to be replaced. Sometimes after a lumbar fusion it is necessary to perform a further procedure, a laminotomy, to remove lamina from the back part of the vertebrae. This is done to relieve pressure on the back.

Definitions

• Back pain can cause problems when walking.

  A few definitions are necessary to understand why a laminotomy would be performed after a lumbar fusion. A disc separates two vertebrae bones in the spinal cord. When that disc degenerates or otherwise fails to perfom its job of cushioning the bones, the two bones rub together and cause pain and other problems. According to Spine-Health.com a lumbar fusion is done to fuse the two bones together by inserting bone material between the two bones. The two bones then become one. A laminotomy is a procedure to remove part of the lamina from the bone as stated in MayoClinic.com. The lamina is the outer covering of the bone.

Function

• Sitting in a chair is painful with a bad back.

  The express function of a laminotomy is to relieve pain in the back. The surgery is based upon the principle that the lamina is the cause of the pain and by its partial removal pain relief will follow. As stated in MayoClinic.com, laminotomy is the partial removal and laminectomy is the total removal of the lamina. When a spinal fusion surgery stabilizes the bones in the back but does not remove the pain, then the laminotomy is the next logical step.

Time Frame

• Lying down can help a bad back.

  After a lumbar fusion surgery, a period of time may transpire before a physician would perform a laminotomy. It would be necessary to determine what type of pain the patient is experiencing following the lumbar fusion surgery. As pointed out in MayoClinic.com, in some lumbar spinal fusion surgeries the laminotomy would be done in conjunction with the lumbar surgery. Such surgeries would be cases in which it was determined in advance that the laminotomy was necessary for the patient's health.

Considerations

• It will take a good back to be able to jump.

  Wherther or not to have a laminotomy in conjunction with spinal fusion surgery is a decision for the patient to make following a recommendation by his physician. Because MayoClinic.com states it is only appropriate in some instances, then it is important for the physician to explain why each situation either requires or does not require the laminotomy. In general, after lumbar spinal fusion surgery the patient wants to feel better and so if a laminotomy will aid that goal then it may be the right course of action.

Benefits

• A pain free back is a cause for running.

  The benefits of a laminotomy are clear. MayoClinic.com outlines how this operation relieves pressure on the nerves of the back. This relief translates into less pain. Less pain means a better life. For a person who has suffered with back pain any pain relief is a blessing.