[Retroperitoneal vascular injuries in lumbar intervertebral disk operation: report of 2 cases with a special course]

The author reports on two cases of retroperitoneal vascular lesions during lumbar vertebral disc surgery. The causative origin of the lesion and the initial signs and symptoms agree with the experiences described in the literature. However, the further course of these specific lesions differed to some extent from what had been expected. In the case where the aorta had been injured, there was at first a neurological deterioration associated with paraplegia; a pattern of shock developed after two hours only. The second case was an arterial lesion that did not require surgery due to spontaneous occlusion of the injured vessel (fifth lumbar artery, or a. lumbalis ima).