Lumbar laminectomy is a surgical procedure most often performed to treat leg pain related to herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and other related conditions.

The goal of a laminectomy is to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerve by widening the spinal canal. This is done by removing or trimming the lamina (roof) of the vertebrae to create more space for the nerves. A surgeon may perform a laminectomy with or without fusing vertebrae or removing part of a disc. Various devices (like screws or rods) may be used to enhance the ability to obtain a solid fusion and support unstable areas of the spine.

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure used to correct problems with the small bones of the spine (vertebrae). It is essentially a “welding” process. The basic idea is to fuse together the painful vertebrae so that they heal into a single, solid bone..

Spinal fusion may relieve symptoms of many back conditions, including:

• Degenerative disk disease
• Spondylolisthesis
• Spinal stenosis
• Scoliosis
• Fracture
• Infection
• Tumor

Research and improvement in understanding the spine biomechanics has lead to the development of non-fusion techniques. The technique of Artificial Disc Replacement has now been internationally approved for clinical practice and we have already performed this surgery on a few patients. The advantage of this procedure is that it returns back the motion in the affected spinal segment and the patient can lead a near normal life without many limitations. The surgery is done from the front and does not involve bone graft harvesting. The disc prosthesis is inserted in-between the vertebral bodies after clearing the degenerative disc disease (DDD).

In this procedure a device is implanted into the spine to imitate the functions of a normal disc (carry load and allow motion).There are many artificial disc designs classified into two general types: total disc replacement and disc nucleus replacement. As the names imply, with a total disc replacement, all or most of the disc tissue is removed and a replacement device is implanted into the space between the vertebras. With a disc nucleus replacement, only the center of the disc (the nucleus) is removed and replaced with an implant. The outer part of the disc (the annulus) is not removed.

Artificial discs are usually made of metal or plastic-like (biopolymer) materials, or a combination of the two. These materials have been used in the body for many years. The most commonly used total disc replacement designs have two plates. One attaches to the vertebrae above the disc being replaced and the other to the vertebrae below. Some devices have a soft, compressible plastic-like piece between these plates. The devices allow motion by smooth, usually curved, surfaces sliding across each other.

Most nucleus replacement devices are made of plastic-like (biopolymer) materials. One such material is called hydrogel. This material expands as it absorbs water. The device is placed into the nuclear cavity of the disc and hydrates to expand and fill the cavity. The device is compressible and by this means, allows motion, much like a normal disc nucleus. Another design consists of a piece of a plastic-like material that coils around to fill the nuclear cavity.

Spinal Disc Replacement

Artificial Lumbar Disc Replacement

Spinal Fusion

Lumbar Laminectomy