Acetazolamide, Short Bed Rest, and Subfascial Off-Suction Drainage in Preventing Persistent Spinal Fluid Leaks from...

Postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak might occur after the repair of dural tears. Acetazolamide lowers intradural pressure by decreasing CSF production. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of persistent CSF leak from incidental dural tears after using acetazolamide, short bed rest, and subfascial off-suction drainage.

The medical records at the Ain Shams University hospital were examined retrospectively for this descriptive single-arm cohort study. Adult patients who underwent lumbar degenerative spine surgery from January 2011 through January 2021 were enrolled. The included patients experienced a CSF leak and were administered acetazolamide 1.5 g/d from postoperative day (POD) 1 to POD 7. Subfascial drainage was kept for a maximum of 5 days without suction.

Seventy-four patients met the inclusion criteria of the study. Fifty-nine patients (79.7%) had recurrent lumbar surgery. The average age of the patients was 55.7 years. In all patients, the quantity of fluid in the drain decreased on a daily basis. The subfascial drain was kept for 5 days in 26 patients (35.1%). There was no wound infection, collection, or persistent CSF leakage in any of the patients over the 6-month follow-up period.

In this study, acetazolamide was well tolerated by the patients and, in addition to short bed rest (72 hours) and off-suction subfascial drainage, did not result in persistent CSF leakage in any patient. A prospective placebo-controlled study is beneficial to confirm the efficacy of acetazolamide in preventing CSF leakage.