Dr. Yasmeh on laminoplasty
— featured in Becker's Spine Review.

Laminoplasty is a procedure for the cervical spine — the neck — that relieves pressure on the spinal cord without fusing the vertebrae together. Rather than removing bone and locking segments in place, the surgeon reshapes the bony arch to widen the spinal canal, creating room for the cord while preserving the neck's natural movement.

That motion-sparing quality is the heart of the case for it. Laminoplasty is performed routinely across Asia and Europe — yet, as the Becker's feature notes, it accounts for only about 0.4% of cervical spine procedures in the U.S.

In the article, Dr. Yasmeh lays out several reasons laminoplasty deserves a larger role:

• It preserves motion. Unlike fusion, which permanently locks vertebrae, laminoplasty keeps the neck mobile — helping patients stay active in sports and daily life.
• It avoids the fusion "cascade." Fusing one segment adds stress to the segments beside it. The article cites data that a meaningful share of fusion patients develop new adjacent-segment problems over time — on the order of a quarter within a decade, and a majority over the very long term. Laminoplasty sidesteps that domino effect.
• It can be more cost-effective. Research referenced in the piece shows lower total facility costs compared with fusion approaches.
• It's often one and done. Because it doesn't set off the adjacent-segment cascade, many patients need only a single operation — in Dr. Yasmeh's framing, "the one and only surgery you need."

If laminoplasty is so well-regarded elsewhere, why is it so uncommon here? Dr. Yasmeh's answer in the article is a training gap. Surgeons tend to practice the way they were trained, and U.S. programs have long emphasized fusion-based techniques. Closing that gap, he argues, means surgeons pursuing additional training beyond fellowship to add laminoplasty to their toolkit — so the right patients can actually be offered the option.

The complete article — including Dr. Yasmeh's full argument and the research he cites — is on Becker's Spine Review:

[→ Read "Laminoplasty's adoption problem, explained by a surgeon who champions it" on Becker's Spine Review](https://www.beckersspine.com/spine/laminoplastys-adoption-problem-explained-by-a-surgeon-who-champions-it/)

Siamak Yasmeh, MD is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon caring for patients across Greater Los Angeles, with expertise in both surgical and minimally invasive spine procedures. He sees patients at the LAOSS East LA, Glendale, Santa Fe Springs, and Tarzana offices. [Meet Dr. Yasmeh →](/providers/dr-siamak-yasmeh/)

This post summarizes and links to external reporting. The original article is the work of Becker's Spine Review.