Hemothorax as a complication after anterior cervical discectomy: case report.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Anterior cervical discectomy is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures of the cervical spine. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We describe a patient with a postoperative hemothorax as a complication after an anterior cervical discectomy. INTERVENTION: The patient was intubated, and reoperation and bronchoscopy were performed. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, such a complication has not been described before in the English-language literature. We conclude that hemothorax is a rare, although serious, complication after anterior cervical discectomy and should be included in the differential diagnosis for patients with respiratory failure after an anterior cervical discectomy.