Chyloretroperitoneum following anterior spinal surgery

Injury to the lymphatic channels is a rare and relatively unknown complication of anterior approaches to the lumbar spine and can cause fluid to build up in the retroperitoneal space, resulting in a lymphocele. If they enlarge sufficiently, these collections of chyle in the abdomen can cause pain and bowel ischemia, and can compress nearby organs. The authors report 4 cases in which anterior approaches to the lumbar spine were complicated by a postoperative retroperitoneal chylous fluid collection. They describe the anatomy of the lymphatic system and pathophysiology of this disease entity, review the sparse literature on this subject, and recommend a treatment algorithm. Maintaining a high index of suspicion for this clinical entity in patients who have recently undergone an anterior approach to the thoracic or lumbar spine is vital to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment.