Paraplegia by acute cervical disc protrusion after lumbar spine surgery.

From the Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei. Received: May 3, 2004; Accepted: Jun. 17, 2004 Address for reprints: Dr. Ping-Wing Lui, Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. 5, Fushing Street, Gueishan Shiang, Taoyuan, Taiwan 333, R.O.C. Tel.: 886-3-3281200 ext: 3625; Fax: 886-3-3281200 ext: 3624: E-mail: pwlui@adm.cgmh.org.tw Paraplegia after general anesthesia is a rare but devastating postoperative complication. Mechanical or ischemic injury is ascribed to be the most common etiology. We present paraplegia due to acute herniation of the C6-C7 intervertebral disc in a patient with undiagnosed degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine.