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Laminectomy
What is a Laminectomy?This procedure is used to treat spinal osteoarthritis and facet joint syndrome more than herniated discs in modern medical practice. However, there are still many doctors who choose to treat bulging discs using this technique. The procedure involves removing the lamina, which is a section of spinal bone covering the affected disc. This is done to allow the widening of the neuroforaminal spaces and the possible removal of some of the herniated disc. In this case, the procedure is actually a combination of laminectomy and discectomy. This is an invasive procedure which creates substantial damage to the spinal tissues. It also demonstrates some of the worst curative statistics in the back surgery field.Types of LaminectomyThe traditional approach to this operation involves a long incision in the back and full dissection of the back muscles to reach the spine. This is still used in many countries, although less invasive versions have become more common in the US. This full open approach is ridiculous and typically leaves permanent disability and scar tissue in many patients.Minimally invasive techniques use precision tools and involve moving the musculature surrounding the spine, rather than dissecting it. Even the least invasive herniated disc surgery techniques still cause damage to the healthy tissues of the spine and should not be used unless there is simply NO OTHER OPTION. Laminectomy IndicationsAs mentioned earlier, this procedure is more commonly used to access the interior of the spine when the suspected cause of pain involves serious facet joint changes or nerve compression due to spinal arthritic osteophytes. While this is still a rare event and diagnosed far more often than it actually occurs, at least it helps to justify the procedure somewhat. For use in cases of a herniated disc as the exclusive cause of suspected nerve compression, this procedure is generally the worst possible choice and typically does far more harm than good. Many post-op patients are no longer concerned with their herniated disc pain, since they are utterly consumed by the horrific pain and disability enacted by the surgery itself!Laminectomy AdviceMy mother had this procedure done in the 1960s to treat an unresolved herniated disc in her lumbar spine. As a child I remember seeing the 6 scar on her lower back and hearing the tale of terror she endured during the operation. She never received relief from the operation and continued to have back pain for over 40 years till her death. This is on top of the full year she spent recovering from this barbarism and the permanent loss of functionality she suffered as a direct result of the operation.On a scale of 1 to 10, I generally rate this procedure a 0 It might be indicated for an extremely few patients with particularly severe and rare spinal conditions, but for everyone else, this operation is a VERY BAD decision. Even for indicated conditions, there is almost always a better option, but some patients are simply not aware that they have a choice. This is why it is crucial to be a knowledgeable and informed patient and to take responsibility for your own health. If not, you have no one to blame when you undergo such a horrible surgery and come out worse than you went in 10/21/08 Revised 12/7/09
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