Transient postoperative neurologic deficit after lumbar laminectomy.

Abstract

New neurological deficit after spinal surgery is a rare complication that requires a quick diagnostic and therapeutic approach to reduce the risk of permanent neurological disabilities. We report a patient who presented with transient neurologic deficit after surgery for lumbar disk herniation resulting from bupivacaine diffusion to either the epidural or the subarachnoid space occurring after the anesthetic infiltration of the surgical wound. Early magnetic resonance imaging excluded more serious causes of such neurological deterioration after lumbar laminectomy. This complication should be considered by the anesthesiologist in the differential diagnosis of neurological deficits after operations on the lumbar spine. We report a patient who presented in the recovery room with a transient neurologic deficit likely resulting from surgical injection of local anesthetic after lumbar laminectomy. This uncommon complication should be considered in the differential diagnosis of postoperative neurological deficits. Early magnetic resonance imaging excluded more serious causes of this complication.