Hemilaminectomy

Hemilaminectomy is a surgical procedure in which only part of a vertebral lamina is removed in the spine. Although "hemi-" means half and hemilaminectomy originally meant removal of either the left half or the right half of the lamina, the term has been broadened to include removal of a portion of both sides of the lamina while retaining much of the lamina for vertebral stability. Typically a portion of a facet joint is also removed to allow more room for a nerve root. If a nerve root is compressed due to a progressive degeneration of the spine, especially in the lumbar region, this compression may cause Sciatica pain in the leg(s) and numbness and/or muscular weakness in the leg(s). Hemilaminectomy is one of several procedures for decompressing the nerve root.