Can laser surgery be used for bone spurs?

Laser surgery can be used to treat and remove bone spurs, reports the Laser Spine Institute, which uses both foraminotomy and laminotomy procedures to remove spurs. Both outpatient procedures are minimally invasive and offer short recovery times.

Foraminotomy is a surgery that widens the opening in the back where nerve roots leave the spinal canal, working to relieve pressure off a nerve in the spinal column and allowing the spine to move with more ease.

Laminotomy works to remove a portion of the bony arch, known as the "lamina," surrounding the spinal cord. The procedure creates more space in the spinal canal to alleviate symptoms of spinal cord impingement and nerve root compression.