Cervical Laminectomy
The human spine has bony tunnels- the spinal canal and the intervertebral foramina. The spinal canal passes the spinal cord while spinal nerve roots run within the intervertebral foramina. When there is a narrowing of these tunnels, there is less space available for spinal cord and/or spinal nerve roots. Consequently, these spinal structures get compressed resulting in pain, stiffness, tingling sensations, weakness, and numbness.
The pinched nerves in the neck (cervical region) can cause discomfort in the neck as well as shoulders, arms, and hands. Various spinal disorders can lead to the compression of neck nerve roots. These include spinal stenosis, a bulging or prolapsed intervertebral disc, spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, and bony spurs. Conservative treatments are available for such conditions such as physical therapy, pain medications, and nerve sheath injections. Surgery is recommended only when these treatments fail. However, surgery may be the best first-line therapy option in cases of substantial instability or neurological issues.
A severe cervical spine injury or painful deformity of the cervical spine will require frequent surgery to relieve the pressure from pinched nerves and stabilise the spine. The surgical procedure recommended in all such cases of the cervical spine is called a cervical laminectomy.
At Arete Hospitals spine department, top-notch spine surgeons and the Best Cervical Spine Surgery Doctors in Hyderabad are on the panel who are experts in performing Cervical Laminectomy.
Benefits of Cervical Laminectomy
- Takes pressure off (decompresses) the spinal cord and nerves in the neck region. Often beneficial when carried out on people who have an identifiable compression resulting in radiculopathy or myelopathy
- Alleviates pain and so reduces the use of pain medications
- Stabilises the spine and provides damage protection of the spinal cord and nerves
- Prevents deterioration and abnormal spine mobility
- Treats cervical spine instability which can arise because of degenerative conditions, arthritis, or trauma
- Restores cervical spine nerve functions.
What is Cervical Laminectomy?
Laminectomy is the removal or cutting out of the lamina (roof) of the vertebral bones to allow the nerves to exit the spine.
A cervical laminectomy is a surgical procedure wherein the bony roof (called lamina) of the spinal canal, as well as any soft tissues causing compression, is removed. It is done to relieve pressure off the spinal nerves and spinal cord from the back of the neck.
Before Cervical Laminectomy Surgery
- It is essential to stop smoking before Cervical Laminectomy Surgery in Hyderabad, and one should not smoke for at least 12 months thereafter. Smoking has been linked to poor surgical results, therefore it is advised to quit smoking.
- If the patient is overweight, it is recommended to begin a sensible weight loss regimen before undergoing surgery. For this, it’s important to consult a primary care physician and a spinal surgeon.
- To avoid unnecessary bleeding during or after surgery, it’s important to discontinue taking aspirin and any other antipla-telet (blood-thinning) drugs or substances, including herbal remedies, at least two weeks before the procedure.
- Someone who regularly uses warf-arin will usually be admitted to the hospital three or four days before the surgery. As the surgery is performed under general anaesthesia, it is important to keep the bowel and bladder empty 6-8 hours before the surgery. Someone must be arranged to drive the patient back home and take care following surgery.
What Does Cervical Laminectomy Involve?
A cervical laminectomy is performed while a patient is lying on his or her stomach and is unconscious with general anaesthesia. During the surgery, the Spine Surgeon in Hyderabad creates a small incision towards the back of the neck and reaches the neck bones (cervical vertebrae) by pulling the soft tissues and muscles apart. The complete lamina or a portion of the lamina is then removed to relieve the compression. Other compression sources, such as bone spurs and/or disc fragments (discectomy), are also removed.
After the Spine Decompression Surgery in Hyderabad is done, the spine surgeon repositions the soft tissues and muscles and closes the incision.
In some cases, spinal fusion may be performed in conjunction with cervical laminectomy by the surgeon at Arete Hospitals, the best Cervical Laminectomy Surgery Hospital in India, which includes putting a bone graft or a bone graft substitute between two affected vertebrae to allow bone development between the vertebral bodies. The bone graft serves as a medium for joining the two vertebral bones, resulting in the formation of a single vertebra that stabilises the spine. It also aids in maintaining an appropriate disc height.
Good Candidates for Cervical Laminectomy
Cervical laminectomy is generally reserved for healthy people having:
- Cervical spine stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal) caused by degenerative spine conditions
- Cervical spondylosis (degeneration of the cervical spinal bones and intervertebral discs)
- Intervertebral disc prolapse/ Herniated disc in the cervical spine area
- Foraminal stenosis (narrowing of neural foramen)
- Being unable to be treated with other alternative conservative treatments and surgeries.
Aftercare Surgery Discharge
Spine Doctor in Hyderabad will suggest a recovery program or exercise regimen to help patients return to normal activity as soon as possible. The symptoms patients are experiencing may improve swiftly or gradually over time following surgery.
One will be able to walk and wake up before the end of the first day following surgery. Getting back to work will be determined by the state of the patient's body's healing and the type of work or activity they intend to resume. Probably, 2-4 weeks leave from normal work is recommended and 4-8 weeks from labour work. Consult with a spinal surgeon and follow their recommendations for optimal healing and recovery following the treatment.
Some aftercare instructions include:
- Avoid heavy weight lifting until the surgeon permits.
- Do not bend the neck, push and pull items, twist the neck, or go for overhead lifting.
- Take proper wound care. Keep the surgical wound dry for at least 10 days.
- Avoid any activities that put pressure on the back of the neck.
Get in touch with Arete Hospitals expert doctors for more details on High-Quality Cervical Laminectomy Surgery Cost in Hyderabad.
Risks and Complications Associated
All procedures have risks, and it is critical to understand the risks to make an informed decision to proceed with the surgery. In addition to anaesthesia difficulties, cervical laminectomy surgery is associated with the following possible risks:
- Failure to alleviate symptoms or prevent deterioration.
- Worsening of pain/weakness/numbness
- Infection
- A blood clot in a wound that necessitates immediate surgery to remove the pressure.
- CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leakage
- Surgery at an erroneous level (this is uncommon because X-rays are used to validate the level during surgery)
- Need for blood transfusion
- Failure, movement, or malposition of the implant (where a fusion is also performed)
- Disc prolapse or nerve compression repeatedly
- Nerve injury (weakness, numbness, and discomfort)- This affects less than 1% of people.
- Quadriplegia (paralysis of arms and legs)
- Incontinence (lack of bladder or bowel control)
- Impotence (erectile dysfunction)
- Chronic discomfort
- Neck instability or forward collapse (kyphosis)- This may necessitate additional surgery.
- Stroke (lack of movement, speech, and so on).
1. What are the possible outcomes if cervical laminectomy is not undertaken?
If the cervical spine condition is not treated appropriately or cervical laminectomy is not undertaken, the patient may experience constant discomfort, paralysis/weakness/numbness, functional impairment (clumsiness, weak fine motor skills, and coordination), or walking and balance issues.
2. What are the outcomes of surgery?
Overall, 80–90% of patients will benefit significantly from cervical laminectomy, and this improvement is usually sustained in the long run.
Arm discomfort is generally the symptom that improves most consistently after surgery. Neck discomfort and headaches may or may not improve. In rare cases, they may worsen. Weakness is frequently the next symptom to improve. However, the cervical spine strength may not return to normal completely. Strength typically improves over a few weeks or months. As the nerve fibres transmitting sensation are thinner and more sensitive to pressure, they are more readily permanently destroyed than the other nerve fibres. Surgery may or may not improve numbness or pins and needles.
3. Is a cervical laminectomy a major surgery?
Cervical laminectomy is a complex major surgical treatment that necessitates general anaesthesia. Technique advancements, on the other hand, have reduced healing times and provide optimal surgical outcomes.
4. How long does it take to recover from a cervical laminectomy?
The recovery time differs after, but patients may need to wear a neck brace and go through physical therapy. Most people can resume light activities within a few weeks, but full recovery takes a few months after Cervical Surgery in Hyderabad. The hospital stay can last for 2-3 days.
Get in touch with the Best Laminectomy Doctors in Hyderabad at Arete Hospitals for comprehensive information and expert care.
