Cervical laminotomies are performed to relieve pressure on a compressed spinal nerve in the neck. Removal of bone spurs or disc herniations usually relieves the associated neck and arm pain. Whereas laminectomies remove the entire lamina, a laminotomy is done when only a portion of the lamina needs to be excised in order to remove material that is compressing nerve roots.
View cervical laminotomy animation