[Abdominal aorta lesion during surgical treatment of a foraminal disk hernia]

We report a case of an abdominal aorta lesion on a 54-year-old woman, who underwent surgery for the treatment of a foraminal disk hernia. At the end of the hernia repair, a sudden hypovolaemic collapse occurred. A computed tomography revealed an abdominal aorta disruption and a retroperitoneal haematoma. An endovascular treatment was preferred to a surgical reintervention and an endoluminal stent-graft was inserted; the postoperative course was uneventful. This case report describes an example of vascular complications of disk hernia surgery which are rare but potentially serious. It emphasizes the increasing development of endovascular procedures and their utility in the treatment of acute contained aortic disruption.