laminotomy laminotomy a laminotomy is an orthopaedic neurosurgical procedure that removes part of the lamina of a vertebral arch in order to relieve pressure in the vertebral canal. a laminotomy is less invasive than conventional vertebral column surgery techniques, such as laminectomy because it leaves more ligaments and muscles attached to the spinous process intact and it requires removing less bone from the vertebra. as a result, laminotomies typically have a faster recovery time and result in fewer postoperative complications. nevertheless, possible risks can occur during or after the procedure like infection, hematomas, and dural tears. laminotomies are commonly performed as treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis and herniated disks. mri and ct scans are often used pre- and post surgery to determine if the procedure was successful. this article is about the procedure to increase the size of an opening in a lamina. for the procedure to completely remove a lamina, see laminectomy.