Iatrogenic lumbar artery pseudoaneurysm after lumbar transpedicular fixation: Case report

Only a few cases of iatrogenic lumbar injury have been reported in the literature. A 58-year-old male with severe back pain was admitted to our department. The patient was qualified for the transpedicular stabilization with interbody fixation at L4/L5 and L5/S1 levels. On the first day after surgery, the patient was mobile and reported significant pain relief. He was discharged the same day. After 2 weeks, the patient returned with severe right lower abdominal pain and radicular pain in his right leg. He was administered to the Neurology Department where the presence of a lumbar muscle hematoma and lumbar artery pseudoaneurysm were discovered. He was transferred to the Vascular Surgery Department where aortography was performed and the pseudoaneurysm was embolized. After few days, the patient’s overall condition improved significantly. Eight weeks after surgery, he was pain-free. Our case shows how initially innocuous symptoms may be the result of serious complications.