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Management of Postoperative Facet Cysts: A Report of 3 Cases
Andres S Piscoya1, DesRaj M Clark, Scott C Wagner
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Case:
The exact underlying etiology behind synovial facet cysts remains unclear, and optimal surgical management continues to be a challenge. The authors present a series of 3 patients who underwent primary lumbar decompression and developed postoperative facet cysts within 6 months of index surgery requiring operative intervention. No patients had radiographic evidence of instability. Average follow-up after revision surgery was 14 months.
Conclusion:
We report on the 3 cases with the phenomenon of postoperative facet cysts and present a complication that falls within the spectrum of lumbar decompression surgery with several successful treatment options.
