Hard to diagnose and potentially fatal: slow aortic erosion post spinal fusion

Endovascular repair for thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm induced by pedicle screw implantation: a case report with 8 years follow-up

BACKGROUND

Pedicle screw instrument surgeries can result in the development of aortic pseudoaneurysm, which is a rare yet potentially severe complication; therefore, the purpose of this work is to describe the case of pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta caused by the severe migration of a pedicle screw after surgery.

CASE PRESENTATION

We herein report a patient who underwent endovascular repair for the pseudoaneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta following thoracic vertebral fixation surgery. A 28-80 mm covered stent was initially inserted through the right femoral artery, and intraoperative aortography revealed a minor extravasation of contrast material. Subsequently, an additional 28-140 mm covered stent was implanted. The patient recovered well during the 8-year follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

Vascular complications resulting from spinal surgery are severe and rare, necessitating early diagnosis and intervention.

Right mainstem bronchoplasty 18 years following thoracic spinal implant surgery

Thoracic spinal surgery has many complications ranging from surgical site infection, chronic pain, periarticular arthrosis, displacement of spinal screws and hardware migration to a lesser degree. Reports of spinal implants penetrating the aorta have been described in the literature, however to our knowledge, lower airway obstruction due to spinal hardware migration has not been reported. Here we describe a case of a patient presenting with a right main stem bronchial obstruction and pneumonia secondary to the migration of the surgical spinal hardware into the lower airway 18 years after his initial intervention. We describe our surgical approach, management and outcomes using bronchoscopy and open thoracotomy. Bronchial obstruction is not a common complication of thoracic spinal surgery, however in remote cases patients may present with rare consequences, it is therefore important to pay close attention to patients' clinical and surgical history since surgical complications may appear years after.