Surgical technique that removes one half of the lamina of the vertebral arch in order to reduce the pressure on the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. Extruded intervertebral disc material is removed through the opening. Hemilaminectomy is the classical approach in surgical treatment of thoracolumbar compressive spinal cord lesions.
In AVOM the patient is referred for surgery if indicated (grade III and higher in thoracolumbar spinal cord lesions).