MATERIAL and METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 11 patients (5 male, 6 female) who had vascular injuries due to cervical and lumbar spinal surgeries. Clinical findings were bleeding (n=5), leg edema (n=6) and right heart failure with severe dyspnea (n=1). The age range of the patients were between 42-67 (mean: 57.1). Six patients were reviewed with imaging before the procedures and the rest of the patients (n=5) were directly referred to the angiography unit for diagnosis and possible endovascular treatment.

RESULTS: The types of surgeries were; cervical surgery (n=5) and lumbar disc operation (n=6). The type of vascular injuries were; vertebral artery stenosis (n=1), vertebral artery pseudoaneurysm (n=3), vertebral artery occlusion (n=1) and iliac arteriovenous fistula (n=6). The type of endovascular treatments were; parent artery occlusion (PAO) (n=2), covered stent graft implantation (n=6) and intrasaccular coil embolization of pseudoaneurysm (n=1). The remaining 2 patients were managed conservatively. No major complications or mortality occured during endovascular interventions. No bleeding or ischemia occured in the follow-up period.

CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic vascular injuries due to spinal surgeries are rare but serious complications. Endovascular interventions are safe and effective in the diagnosis and treatment of such vascular injuries. Keywords : Iatrogenic vascular injury, Endovascular diagnosis, Endovascular treatment, Spinal surgery