Only a few cases of iatrogenic lumbar injury have been reported in the
literature. A 58-year-old male with severe back pain was admitted to our
department. The patient was qualified for the transpedicular stabilization with
interbody fixation at L4/L5 and L5/S1 levels. On the first day after surgery,
the patient was mobile and reported significant pain relief. He was discharged
the same day. After 2 weeks, the patient returned with severe right lower
abdominal pain and radicular pain in his right leg. He was administered to the
Neurology Department where the presence of a lumbar muscle hematoma and lumbar
artery pseudoaneurysm were discovered. He was transferred to the Vascular
Surgery Department where aortography was performed and the pseudoaneurysm was
embolized. After few days, the patient’s overall condition improved
significantly. Eight weeks after surgery, he was pain-free. Our case shows how
initially innocuous symptoms may be the result of serious complications.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.