Chylous injury following anterior spinal surgery: case reports

Chylous leakage is an unusual complication following anterior spinal surgery. This leakage can occur as a result of traumatic injury to the thoracic duct, the cisterna chyli, or the retroperitoneal lymphatic vessels. The authors present case reports of three patients who underwent anterior spinal surgical procedures inadvertently complicated by an injury to the lymphatic system. All patients were managed nonoperatively with tube drainage and hyperalimentation and had uneventful recoveries.