title: A wandering intravascular scalpel fragment after lumbar discectomy: a case report.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Canakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adem Bozkurt
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Aras
authors.forename: Omer Faruk
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.forename: Timucin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alar
authors.forename: Adile
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.forename: M Kasım
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Arik
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kosar
authors.forename: Bahadır
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kirilmaz
authors.forename: Betul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kizildag
authors.forename: Tarık
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akman
authors.forename: Tolga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Bahadır
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alkan
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sacar
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*