ABSTRACT
Revision posterior cervical laminectomy, with or without a fusion procedure, may be indicated in patients with persistent, progressive, or recurrent symptomatic cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy, symptomatic pseudarthrosis, and progressive spinal deformity. This chapter outlines revision cervical laminectomy should be considered only after a complete patient evaluation. Patients who have undergone prolonged prone surgery may benefit from delayed extubation once facial swelling has decreased. Revision cervical laminectomy is associated with increased risk for intraoperative and postoperative complications compared to primary surgery. Intraoperative neuromonitoring is used and should include somatosensory evoked potential, as well as transcranial motor-evoked potential. Careful attention to wound closure should occur with the muscle, fascia, subcutaneous skin, and dermis closed in layers. Extension of the previous incision will allow identification of normal anatomy cephalad and caudad to the surgical wound to enable dissection within the plane between scar tissue and the intact dura.
