Epidural hematoma after cervical spine surgery

The authors report an acute epidural hematoma after the surgical removal of a cervical C6-C7 disc herniation through an anterolateral approach of the cervical spine. Clinical history consisted of respiratory distress and flaccid tetraplegia that appeared 2.5 hours after surgery. Without any complementary radiologic investigation, the patient was immediately transferred to the operating room for a second look, which was unsuccessful. Magnetic resonance imaging performed after this second surgical procedure showed an anterior cervical hematoma extending from C3 to T3 without significant spinal cord compression. A cervical laminectomy was performed to evacuate the hematoma. The patient was extubated the next morning and discharged from the hospital after 5 days with no residual neurologic deficit. An extensive postoperative investigation revealed no coagulation disorder.