Detection of Lumbar Disc Herniation after General Anesthesia: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

ABSTRACT

Reports of neural and non-neural injury associated with anesthesia have appeared in the medical literature. The majority of these injuries were due to improper patient positioning on the operating table and mostly correlated with the duration of surgery. We observed a case of lumbar disc herniation that was detected after general anesthesia in the traditional supine position. A 34-year-old woman underwent an operation for removal of uterine myoma. She complained of newly developed severe back pain that radiated down the lower right leg. HIVD L4~5 confirmed by lumbar MRI at POD 4th. We felt the cause of HIVD was related to the supine position or preexisting back pain with HIVD was exacerbated during surgery. This is possible to be prevented by evaluating the patient's postural limitation during the visit before anesthesia, padding under lumbar area and a more appropriate position to suit the patient needs for example, Lawn-chair position. The patient was treated with epidural injection of steroid at pain clinic.