Spinal stenosis is like the lime build-up on the inside of a garden hose. Over time, it narrows the diameter of the hose, just as spinal stenosis narrows the spinal canal.
A laminectomy, or removal of the lamina, provides access to the inside of the spinal canal, and allows more room to remove a herniated disc or to open up a tight nerve hole (foramen).
Laminoplasty is a surgical technique for the cervical spine, which gives more room to the spinal cord in the neck when it is compressed by disc material, bone spurs, or ligaments.