laminectomy

American  

[lam-uh-nek-tuh-mee] / ˌlæm əˈnɛk tə mi /

noun

laminectomies plural

1. the surgical removal of part of the posterior arch of a vertebra to provide access to the spinal canal, as for the excision of a ruptured disk.

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laminectomy British  

/ ˌlæmɪˈnɛktəmɪ /

noun

1. Also called: rachiotomy.  surgical incision into the backbone to gain access to the spinal cord

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• laminectomies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of laminectomy

First recorded in 1890–95; lamin(a) + -ectomy

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

laminectomy laminectomies

If a fracture isn’t the problem but a misaligned disk is compressing nearby nerves, surgeons may perform a laminectomy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2024

In April, Swedish scientists published the results of an inquiry into spinal-stenosis treatments, examining nearly two hundred and fifty patients who had been randomly assigned to undergo laminectomy alone or added fusion.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 29, 2016

A simple laminectomy, in which the back portions of a couple vertebrae are removed in order to widen the canal, might cost five or seven thousand dollars.

From The New Yorker ● Dec. 29, 2016

A disc surgery for lower-back pain, called a laminectomy, costs Aetna about $6,000 in-network yet reaps nearly $120,000 for Bay Area Surgical.

From BusinessWeek ● Jul. 19, 2012

In injuries involving the lumbo-sacral region it is sometimes advisable to perform laminectomy for the purpose of suturing divided nerve cords.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander

By contrast, laminectomies require ten to 14 days in the hospital, and the patient needs three to six months for full recovery.

From Time Magazine Archive

An estimated 200,000 Americans now annually undergo operations known as laminectomies to correct this ailment.

From Time Magazine Archive