Author/Editor		Andrä, Michaela; Baumer, Harald; Mittergradnegger, Florian; Laschitz, Michael; Petek, Tadej; Wandschneider, Wolfgang
Title		Life-threatening cardiac perforation after posterior spondylodesis
Type		članek
Vol. and No.		Letnik 104, št. 5
Publication year		2017
Volume		str. e355-e357
ISSN		0003-4975 - The Annals of thoracic surgery
Language		eng
Abstract		This reports presents a case of a 62-year-old woman with hemorrhagic hypovolemic shock, respiratory distress, and pericardial effusion secondary to right atrial perforation caused by a cement embolus after dorsal spondylodesis. Despite optimal intensive care support for a supposed pulmonary embolism, the patient's condition markedly deteriorated. On delayed embolus recognition by contrast-enhanced computed tomography and transesophageal echocardiography, she had to undergo cardiac surgery. Cardiac involvement is a rare but important complication, with few cases described after vertebroplasty and none after spondylodesis. In our case, diagnosis before perforation would have allowed an endovascular approach, thereby avoiding open heart surgery.
Descriptors		Hypovolemia Spinal Fusion Pulmonary Embolism