title: Venous injury in lumbar anterior spine surgery.
abstract: To assess the clinical and angiological outcome of venous injury in lumbar anterior spine surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Follow-up study.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a seven-year time span 77 consecutive patients underwent lumbar anterior spine surgery. Of these patients three patients suffered two minor and two major vein injuries. In two cases this was a common iliac vein injury. The other two injuries were at the level of the junction of the iliac veins with the inferior vena cava. The injuries were repaired by direct suture and the patients were followed-up by an independent angiologist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The follow-up, done clinically and with duplex sonography, plethysmography and ankle pressures showed no sequelae from the venous injuries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Venous injuries following anterior spine surgery are rare and may have a good recovery. Preoperative informed consent is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Spital Thun-Simmental AG, Thun, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lawrence M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Staehli
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zehnder
authors.forename: Othmar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schwarzenbach
authors.forename: Kim T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Mouton
authors.forename: Hans E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Wolfgang G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Mouton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000293:injuries; D007084:Iliac Vein / Q000293:injuries*; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000293:injuries*