A lumbar laminectomy, also known as an open decompression, is a surgical procedure designed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerve by widening the spinal canal. During a lumbar laminectomy, a small section of the bony roof of the spine, the lamina, is removed to create more space for the nerves. A surgeon may perform a lumbar laminectomy with or without fusing vertebrae (lumbar spinal fusion) or removing part of a disc (lumbar microdiscectomy).

Spine Conditions Treated with Lumbar Laminectomy: