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

But a popular addition to laminectomy is a so-called fusion, in which adjoining vertebrae are connected with titanium hardware, keeping them aligned and the spine stable.

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 one case with signs of total transverse lesion, in which a laminectomy was performed, no apparent lesion was discovered, and this would frequently be the case, since the damage is parenchymatous.

From Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900 Being Mainly a Clinical Study of the Nature and Effects of Injuries Produced by Bullets of Small Calibre by George Henry Makins

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