Aorta Injury during Lumbar Disc Surgery: Report of a Case

Abstract

We report a case of an aortic injury during a lumbar disc surgery. A 75-year-old female with lumbar spinal canal stenosis was operated with L2–5 stabilisation procedure in prone position. During L3–4 discectomy by rongeur, her blood pressure dropped from 80 to 30 mmHg, soon followed by bleeding from the disc space. The bleeding was stopped in a few minutes. After the blood pressure was recovered and stabilized by rapid infusion of fluids and blood transfusion, the operation was finished. Four hours after the surgery, her blood pressure suddenly dropped again and an immediate computed tomography scan revealed a large retroperitoneal haematoma, so an urgent laparotomy was performed. A laceration on the posterior aspect of the terminal aorta was revealed and repaired. After the surgery, her clinical course was uneventful.