Spine Education

Cervical Foraminotomy

During a foraminotomy, a surgeon cuts away bone at the sides of vertebrae to widen the space where nerve roots exit the spine. The enlarged space may relieve pressure on the nerves, thereby relieving pain.Foraminotomy can sometimes result in reduced stability of the spine, similar to what happens in a laminectomy. A spinal fusion may be done at the same time. Doing so increases the amount of time needed for recovery but also prevents the spine from becoming unstable. If the spine becomes unstable after a foraminotomy, a spinal fusion can be done to correct the problem.