Author:

Keywords:

Foreign body, Iatrogenic, Off-pump surgery, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems, Respiratory System, Surgery, Cardiovascular System & Cardiology, FOREIGN-BODIES, Adult, Device Removal, Equipment Failure, Foreign-Body Migration, Heart Diseases, Humans, Iatrogenic Disease, Intervertebral Disc Displacement, Male, Reoperation, Spinal Fusion, Surgical Instruments, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Treatment Outcome, 1004 Medical Biotechnology, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 3201 Cardiovascular medicine and haematology, 3202 Clinical sciences

Abstract:

Iatrogenic vascular problems during posterior lumbar interbody fusion are a rare entity. Migration of a broken scalpel towards the heart has, to our knowledge, never been reported. We present the successful surgical retrieval of a broken scalpel from the heart after posterior lumbar interbody fusion without the use of a cardiopulmonary bypass.