Postoperative left-sided chylothorax following posterior approach in late-onset idiopathic scoliosis surgery.

Van-Loo, J.; Adsul, N.; Loughenbury, P.; Gummerson, N.

Postoperative left-sided chylothorax following posterior approach in late-onset idiopathic scoliosis surgery.

All Authors

Van-Loo, J.

Adsul, N.

Loughenbury, P.

Gummerson, N.

LTHT Author

Van-Loo, Jack
Adsul, Nitin
Loughenbury, Peter
Gummerson, Nigel William

LTHT Department

Spinal Surgery

Publication Date

2024

Item Type

Case Reports
Journal Article

Abstract

Background: Chylothorax is an extremely rare complication of spinal surgery. We were only able to identify 15 previous cases overall, with only 5 involving a posterior approach. Case Description: A 16-year-old female presented with a chylothorax following a T4-L4 posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis. Postoperatively, the patient developed respiratory distress due to a left-sided pleural effusion. Laboratory tests (i.e., both gross and laboratory analysis) documented the fluid to be chyle. The patient required the placement of a chest drain and a low triglyceride diet to manage and resolve the chylothorax successfully. Conclusion: Chylothorax is a rare complication of spinal surgery and should be considered among the differential diagnoses involving postoperative respiratory compromise attributed to pleural effusions.