Symptomatic Thromboembolism as an Uncommon Postoperative Complication in Young Patients with Spinal Deformity

Abstract

Background/Purpose Thromboembolism continues to be one of the most appalling postoperative complications. We aim to extend the findings of earlier authors on clinically symptomatic thromboembolic complications in young patients (<30 years old) operated due to major spinal deformity. Methods We retrospectively studied 297 patients (98 males and 199 females), with a mean age of 17.8 ± 4.2 years (range, 1.8–29.8 years) and a mean follow-up period of 12.3 ± 5.9 months (range, 6–84 months), who had been operated due to major spinal deformity from August 2005 to December 2012. A complete clinical examination was performed in all patients throughout the postoperative period to find out any symptomatic thromboembolism. Results We found three (1.01%) and two (0.67%) cases with symptomatic thromboembolism and extensive pulmonary embolism, respectively. All of them had a positive history of anterior spine surgery, and one of them had been placed in a poor posture for a long time to improve the inflammation of a surgical wound. Conclusion Despite the rarity of thromboembolism after surgery for major spinal deformities in young patients, the possibility still exists, and patients with a positive history of anterior spinal surgery or poor posturing are probably more susceptible.