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The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 81:998-1001 (1999)
© 1999 The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc.

An Unusual Complication of Anterior Spinal Instrumentation: Hemothorax Contralateral to the Side of the Incision. A Case Report*

PANG-HSIN HSIEH, M.D.{dagger}, WEN-JER CHEN, M.D.{dagger}, LIH-HUEI CHEN, M.D.{dagger} and CHI-CHIEN NIU, M.D.{dagger}, TAOYUAN, TAIWAN

Investigation performed at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan


   Introduction
 
Anterior procedures on the spine, initially popularized for the treatment of spinal tuberculosis8, are now frequently used for the treatment of a variety of complex spinal disorders. Several authors have discussed the perioperative complications of such procedures5,10,12,17,18,19,22, however, to our knowledge, development of a hemothorax contralateral to the side of the incision has not been reported.

We report such a complication in a patient who had a burst fracture of the twelfth thoracic vertebra, which was osteoporotic. The patient was managed with a decompression and arthrodesis from the eleventh thoracic to the first lumbar vertebra. The procedure was performed through a left thoracoabdominal approach and consisted of corpectomy of the twelfth thoracic vertebra, placement of a strut graft, and internal fixation with screws and a plate. Postoperatively, a hemothorax developed on the right side and necessitated a second procedure. This unexpected, serious complication was iatrogenic; it developed because . . . [Full Text of this Article]


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