Incidental durotomies during lumbar discectomies Durotomías incidentales en discectomías lumbares

Abstract

Objective: To assess the evolution of patients submitted to operative treatment for lumbar discal herniation in which occurred accidental lesion of the dura mater during the procedure ("accidental durotomy"). Methods: retrospective study. It were analyzed the charts of patients operated on between June 2005 and November 2007. It was selected the patients that presented accidental lesions of the dura mater membrane and these were studied concerning the means of repairing of the lesion and their clinical evolution. Results: During theperiodofthe study it was realized 449 diskectomies for lumbar discal herniations from which 391 as a primary surgery, 48 as a first recurrence and ten as a second recurrence. In 11 (2.4%) patients it was found an accidental durotomy. The average age of the patients was 38.4 years. All the patients were submitted to elective surgical procedure, eight for primary discal herniation, one as a first recurrence and two as a second recurrence, meaning a total of 2%