Laminectomy is one of the most common back surgeries and it involves removing part or all of the roof of the spinal bone (lamina) to ease pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve roots that may be caused by injury, herniated disk, or narrowing of the canal (spinal stenosis). In a laminectomy, the spine is approached from the back. Laminectomy is considered only after non-surgical treatments have failed.