The surgeon makes an incision at the back of the neck. On one side of the vertebrae, they make a cut all the way through the lamina. On the other side, they make a partial cut, creating a hinge. The surgeon then opens the bony arch, much like a door, to increase the size of the spinal canal. A small plate and screws are used to hold the "door" open permanently. This provides immediate relief from spinal cord compression without removing bone or performing a fusion. It helps to preserve the spine's natural range of motion and allows for much faster recovery compared to a fusion procedure. Laminoplasty is often recommended for multilevel stenosis that cause compression of the spinal cord.