Issue |
SICOT-J
Volume 1, 2015
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | 30 | |
Number of page(s) | 3 | |
Section | Spine | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/sicotj/2015031 | |
Published online | 06 November 2015 |
Case Report
Total ureteral avulsion leading to early nephrectomy as a rare complication of simple lumbar discectomy; a case report
1
Associate Professor of Orthopedic, Fellowship of Spine Surgery, MD, Orthopedic Department, Orthopedic Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
2
Orthopedic Resident, Orthopedic Department, Orthopedic Research Center, Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
* Corresponding author: omidif@mums.ac.ir
Received:
5
August
2015
Accepted:
30
September
2015
Introduction: Lumbar discectomy constitutes the most common and probably easiest spine surgery but it is not without complications. The aim of this work is to report a case with total ureteral avulsion during lumbar discectomy due to careless advancement of the pituitary rongeur.
Methods: A 59-year-old male presented with refractory left L5-S1 lumbar disc herniation. During the surgery, left sided total ureteral avulsion occurred. Early postoperative progressive abdominal pain was the main clue for further investigation and diagnostic work-up.
Results: Abdominal ultrasonography, intravenous pyelography, and abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) detected a left ureteral injury. Although the injury was detected early, ureteral repair or renal autotransplantation was not possible and nephrectomy was finally indicated, due to a significant ureteral loss.
Discussion: Careful use of discectomy instruments, avoidance of excessive advancement of pituitary rongeurs (more than 3 cm), and thorough knowledge of the relevant anatomy are critical in preventing ureteral injury.
Key words: Discectomy / Lumbar disc disease / Ureter / Nephrectomy / Complication
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2015
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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