Illustration of laminotomy

A laminotomy takes out only some of the back part of a spinal bone, called the lamina. The procedure makes a hole just big enough to ease the pressure in a specific spot. While shown here on the neck, the surgery also can be done in the lower spine.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

We use the data you provide to deliver you the content you requested. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, we may combine your email and website data with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, we will only use your protected health information as outlined in our Notice of Privacy Practices. You may opt out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the email.