Retained Lumbar Intradiscal Surgical Knife Blade Retrieved Via Extended Extraforaminal Approach: Case Report and Review

Abstract

Background and Importance: During a lumbar discectomy, the surgical knife might be broken and embedded deeply within the disc space. In some cases, it may be impossible to remove the broken blade during the initial surgery despite allocating several hours for this purpose. This fact may justify a subsequent surgical session. However, the eventual retrieval of the broken scalpel during a second surgical encounter can likewise be a very daunting challenge. Case Presantation: An L4-L5 discectomy in a young boy was complicated by the presence of an intradiscal broken surgical knife blade. The broken blade was successfully retrieved in a subsequent surgical session via the extended extraforaminal approach. Conclusion: The occurrence of an intradiscal retained broken scalpel has been rarely discussed within medical literature. There exist a wide variety of different approaches used for such a needed retrieval. The extended extraforaminal corridor has yet to be described within the context of medical journalism.