[Arterial injury as a complication of lumbar disc surgery]. / Le cas clinique du mois. Plaie artérielle compliquant une chirurgie discale lombaire.

Vascular complications are unusual after lumbar disc surgery. Iliac artery injury is the most common. The vascular injury may cause severe bleeding and hypotension. If the injury is missed, an arteriovenous fistula may develop. This complication is fortunately the most common. We describe the case of a 41 year-old man who was operated on for lumbar disc herniation. A few hours after surgery, he had developed prolonged hypotension leading to the diagnosis of iatrogenic vascular injury. The CT scan confirmed the diagnosis of right common iliac tear with voluminous retroperitoneal haematoma. Emergent surgery was carried on with success.