Migration of a broken scalpel into the heart after spine surgery

Herbert De Praetere; Caroline Vanden Eycken; Bart Meuris; Paul Herijgers

doi:10.1093/icvts/ivt553

Migration of a broken scalpel into the heart after spine surgery

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2014 Apr;18(4):527-9. doi: 10.1093/icvts/ivt553. Epub 2014 Jan 16.

Authors

Herbert De Praetere¹, Caroline Vanden Eycken, Bart Meuris, Paul Herijgers

Affiliation

¹ Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Abstract

Iatrogenic vascular problems during posterior lumbar interbody fusion are a rare entity. Migration of a broken scalpel towards the heart has, to our knowledge, never been reported. We present the successful surgical retrieval of a broken scalpel from the heart after posterior lumbar interbody fusion without the use of a cardiopulmonary bypass.

Keywords: Foreign body; Iatrogenic; Off-pump surgery.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Device Removal
Equipment Failure
Foreign-Body Migration / diagnosis
Foreign-Body Migration / etiology*
Foreign-Body Migration / surgery
Heart Diseases / diagnosis
Heart Diseases / etiology*
Heart Diseases / surgery
Humans
Iatrogenic Disease*
Intervertebral Disc Displacement / surgery*
Male
Reoperation
Spinal Fusion / adverse effects*
Spinal Fusion / instrumentation*
Surgical Instruments*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Treatment Outcome