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¹Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Canakkale, Turkey
²Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Canakkale, Turkey
³Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Canakkale, Turkey
⁴Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Canakkale, Turkey
⁵Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Canakkale, Turkey
⁶Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Canakkale, Turkey
⁷Canakkale 18 March University, School of Medicine, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Canakkale, Turkey DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.9233-13.0 Vascular complications after lumbar discectomy are rarely seen. We present a unique and potentially life-threatening postoperative complication from this procedure. A 27-year-old man was admitted to our emergency vascular unit 1 day after a lumbar discectomy, during which a scalpel blade fragmented and a part was lost. Radiological images of the patient were performed and a broken scalpel blade was located anterior to the sacrum. An anterior laparotomy was performed which identified a mass within the left iliac vein that migrated suddenly to the inferior vena cava. An emergency angiography was performed, by which time the scalpel blade had ascended to the right-sided inferior pulmonary artery. It was subsequently removed via a right lateral thoracotomy. Keywords : Iliac vein, Lumbar discectomy, Pulmonary artery, Scalpel