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.

---

laminectomy British  

/ ˌlæmɪˈnɛktəmɪ /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of laminectomy

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

Example Sentences

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

The results sometimes following the operation of laminectomy for fracture of the vertebrae are often marvelous.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)