Spinal Surgery Complications Result in Foot Drop and Paralysis

Case Overview

This case involves a sixty-year-old female patient that was having extreme lower back pain that prompted a visit to her family doctor for an evaluation. Twenty years earlier, the patient had previous back surgery to the L3-L4 spine. The patient was referred to an orthopedic physician who performed an L2-L3 spinal fusion, and revision of the L3-L4 spinal fusion, a L4-L5 spinal fusion, and an L5 laminectomy. The operative note stated that all phases of the procedure were conducted without incident, but the patient complained of massive pain, postoperatively. Five days later, the patient received a CT scan that showed an epidural hematoma that spread to the thoracic portion of the spine. The patient now has a foot drop, lower back pain, and other neurological issues as a result of the delayed treatment.

Questions to the Orthopedic Surgery expert and their responses

Could an earlier intervention have prevented this outcome?

Immediate laminectomy followed by evacuation of the hematoma would have been warranted here.

About the expert

This expert is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon that was trained at New York University School of Medicine. He attained an advanced fellowship in Spinal surgery from a top medical center in Wisconsin. Currently he is affiliated faculty at a major regional healthcare center, as well as a clinical instructor at a top medical university.