79 patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis were randomly assigned to undergo either a standard open laminectomy or a minimally invasive unilateral laminectomy for bilateral decompression. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness, safety, and clinical outcomes of each technique. Results indicated a significant reduction in pain, average time to mobilization, average length of postoperative hospital stay, opioid use, and blood loss in the minimally invasive unilateral laminectomy group when compared to standard open laminectomy, while providing similar functional outcomes.