Turkish Neurosurgery 2014 , Vol 24 , Num 5
A Wandering Intravascular Scalpel Fragment After Lumbar Discectomy: A Case Report
Adem Bozkurt ARAS1, Omer Faruk OZKAN2, Timucin ALAR3, Adile OZKAN4, M. Kasım ARIK2, Sule KOSAR5, Bahadır KIRILMAZ6, Betul KIZILDAG5, Tarık AKMAN1, Tolga KURT7, Bahadır ALKAN1, Mustafa SACAR7, Murat COSAR1
1Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Canakkale, Turkey
2Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Canakkale, Turkey
3Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Canakkale, Turkey
4Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Canakkale, Turkey
5Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Canakkale, Turkey
6Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Canakkale, Turkey
7Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Canakkale, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.9233-13.0 Vascular complications after lumbar discectomy are rarely seen. We present a unique and potentially life-threatening postoperative complication from this procedure. A 27-year-old man was admitted to our emergency vascular unit 1 day after a lumbar discectomy, during which a scalpel blade fragmented and a part was lost. Radiological images of the patient were performed and a broken scalpel blade was located anterior to the sacrum. An anterior laparotomy was performed which identified a mass within the left iliac vein that migrated suddenly to the inferior vena cava. An emergency angiography was performed, by which time the scalpel blade had ascended to the right-sided inferior pulmonary artery. It was subsequently removed via a right lateral thoracotomy. Keywords : Iliac vein, Lumbar discectomy, Pulmonary artery, Scalpel
Corresponding author : Adem Bozkurt Aras, adem_aras@yahoo.com