What Are the Risk Factors for Post-Laminectomy Syndrome?

Houston Pain Specialists Blog What Are the Risk Factors for Post-Laminectomy Syndrome?

If you’ve been dealing with back pain for a long time, you’d probably do just about anything to get the pain to subside. You may have already sought conservative pain management treatments, but they haven’t been as helpful as you’d hoped. 

At this point, you may be considering a laminectomy to relieve your pain.

At Houston Pain Specialists, we want to help you live a pain-free life. Board-certified pain management specialist Hui Kang, MD, leads our team. Our goal is to relieve your pain without the hassle and risks associated with surgery, but we know that’s not always possible. 

With that in mind, we want to prepare you as well as we can if you do end up needing surgery. In this blog, we explain what a laminectomy is and what the risk factors are for developing post-laminectomy syndrome.

What is a laminectomy?

When you suffer from spinal stenosis, a condition in which the spaces in your spine and around your spinal cord shrink, the nerve roots become compressed and cause pain and numbness. When conservative treatments are unsuccessful in relieving the pain, you may undergo a laminectomy.

A laminectomy is a surgical procedure during which a part of the bone that forms your vertebral arch, called the lamina, is removed. If bone spurs are present, the surgeon may remove those too, as they can put pressure on your spinal cord. 

This procedure is only performed if your symptoms are so severe that they interfere with your daily life and if all other treatment options have failed.

What is post-laminectomy syndrome?

Any kind of surgery comes with risks. With this particular procedure, you run the risk of developing post-laminectomy syndrome, a condition in which you experience continued back or neck pain after surgery. 

There are certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of post-laminectomy syndrome, including:

If you start to notice symptoms of post-laminectomy syndrome, such as back, neck, or joint pain, shooting or stabbing pain, weakness, muscle spasms, or pain in your arms or legs, schedule an appointment with Dr. Kang. Upon diagnosis, he discusses your options with you and creates a treatment plan to manage your pain.

Whether you’re coming to us at Houston Pain Specialists with existing post-laminectomy syndrome or you’ve tried conservative treatments for your pain that were unsuccessful and need guidance, we’re here for you. 

Don’t let pain interfere with your life any longer. Contact our Houston, Texas, office today to schedule an appointment.

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