Unexpected localization of a thoracic pedicle screw nearby the aorta after scoliosis surgery
Ali Murat Başak
, Tolga Ege, Eda Yıldırım, Ömer Levent Karadamar, Deniz Çankaya
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Gülhane Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
Keywords: Malposition, pedicle screw, scoliosis, thoracic aorta
Abstract
A large vessel injury after the insertion of a pedicle screw is a rare complication, and sudden bleeding or pseudoaneurysms may occur. We present a 19-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of adult idiopathic scoliosis who underwent surgery without intraoperative complications. When the patient developed dyspnea on the postoperative second day, an anteroposterior X-ray revealed lateralized screws on the left side at the segments T3 through T8, which was confirmed by computed tomography (CT). During this process, the patient had also developed hemothorax, and the patient was stabilized by the drainage performed by thoracic surgeons. The patient underwent revision surgery on the 10th postoperative day. Subsequently, the patient did not have any complaints during three years of follow-up. In conclusion, considering that the unexpected localization of pedicle screws after scoliosis surgery may have serious consequences, a CT scan should be performed in case of any doubt, and revision surgery should be performed urgently in case dangerously located pedicle screws are detected.
The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.
The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.