Types of Lumbar Laminectomy Baltimore MD

A lumbar laminectomy Baltimore MD is a type of back surgery that is performed on the lower spine in order to relieve excessive compression on the spinal cord that is resulting in symptoms like back pain and numbness in the lower extremities.  The main intervention provided by this surgery is the removal of a part of one or more of the vertebrae, or perhaps the removal of bone spurs.  Bone spurs are bony material that has grown in places where it should not be as a result of various, related health conditions.

Surgical Varieties of Lumbar Laminectomy Baltimore

• The simplest kind of lumbar laminectomy Baltimore is performed just to relieve pressure on some part of the spinal cord.  When this procedure is performed on the lower back, it is called a posterior lumbar laminectomy for decompression.  This surgery removes the lamina from one or more of the vertebrae to make more room for the spinal cord.
• Another, more complicated, version of this surgery is the posterior lumbar laminectomy with instrumentation and fusion.  In this operation, the surgeon not only removes pieces of bone, but also adds grafted bone material to fuse parts of the spine together.  Instrumentation, which is medical-grade hardware like rods and screws, may also be added if it is felt the fusion might not be strong enough on its own.  The word "posterior" indicates that this surgery is performed through and incision in the patient's back.
• The posterior laminectomy with fusion and without instrumentation is the exact same surgery as mentioned directly above, except without the addition of any medical hardware.  When the spinal fusion is performed for either of these two surgeries, it is necessary to have bone grafting material available.  The grafting material is often obtained from the femur, which is the large thigh bone in the patient's own body.  Patients who do not wish to have an additional surgery on their thigh may use donor material from a cadaver if compatible tissue is available.  This option carries more risks because it exposes the patient to diseases the donor may have been carrying.  There is also a slight risk of the body rejecting the bone graft.

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