Published online Sep 27, 2020. doi: 10.5313/wja.v9.i1.7
Peer-review started: April 29, 2020
First decision: July 5, 2020
Revised: July 12, 2020
Accepted: August 16, 2020
Article in press: August 16, 2020
Published online: September 27, 2020
Cement-related embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication in spinal surgery. Cardiac echocardiography can provide valuable information for the early identification.
A 66-year-old woman who underwent lumbar vertebroplasty and internal fixation under general anesthesia experienced an episode of supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia at the end of surgery. Point-of-care echocardiogram revealed a foreign body in the right heart. After conservative treatment in the intensive care unit, her family decided on comfort care and she expired.
Transthoracic echocardiography may provide early valuable information in patients undergoing vertebroplasty, and mild-moderate pericardial effusion may be a significant sign of a poor outcome.
Core Tip: With an aging population and increasing tumor occurrence, there is an ever-growing demand for vertebroplasty surgery. Cement related embolism subsequently increases. We recommend echocardiography in the early identification of cement embolism and foreign body with pericardial perfusion should be paid more attention.