A patient with left-sided inferior vena cava who received oblique lumbar interbody fusion surgery: a case report

BACKGROUND: Oblique lateral interbody fusion surgery has become increasingly popular for lumbar degenerative diseases. The oblique corridor is between the psoas muscle and the retroperitoneal vessels, and its use could result in decreased tissue trauma, minimal blood loss, and short operation times. Patients who undergo oblique lateral interbody fusion surgery are always placed in the right lateral position to avoid damage to the inferior vena cava, which is typically a right-sided vessel. There is a substantial risk of vascular injury during the operation if there are anatomical variations in the vessels. CASE PRESENTATION: A 77-year-old man, of the Han nationality, with lumbar spinal stenosis underwent stand-alone oblique lateral interbody fusion surgery. Transverse magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine indicated that his inferior vena cava was left-sided. A three-dimensional reconstructed image of abdominal computed tomography angiography showed that the inferior vena cava was located on the left side. Finally, the surgeon decided to change the position of our patient from a right lateral position to a left lateral position before the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: To date, this is the first reported case where a patient underwent oblique lateral interbody fusion surgery in a left lateral decubitus position due to a left-sided inferior vena cava. This case demonstrates that carefully reading radiological results is important for operation planning and avoiding anatomical complications.