What Researchers Did
Doctors described the case of a man who lost consciousness and had a seizure after a rare complication during minimally invasive lower back disk surgery.
What They Found
This is a single case report describing a 63-year-old man who developed pneumocephalus (air trapped inside the skull) after a 2 mm tear in the membrane covering the spinal cord occurred during full endoscopic lumbar diskectomy. He could not wake from anesthesia, had rapid breathing, and had generalized seizures; a brain CT scan confirmed air in the subdural and subarachnoid spaces. He was given pure oxygen and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, began regaining consciousness 8 hours after surgery, and was fully conscious the next day, with a follow-up CT showing nearly complete resolution of the trapped air and no lasting neurologic problems at final follow-up.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This is a single case report with no comparison group, so it cannot show whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy caused the recovery or how often this benefit would occur in other patients.