Wound-peritoneal shunts: part of the complex management of anterior dural lacerations in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.

BACKGROUND: The complex management of dural lacerations occurring after the resection of multilevel ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) requires further clarification.

METHODS: Both preoperative MR and CT studies documented multilevel ventral cord compression attributed to OPLL with kyphosis in 82 patients requiring multilevel anterior corpectomy/fusion (ACF) (average, 2.6 levels) followed by posterior fusion (PF) (average, 6.6 levels) under the same anesthetic. The 5 patients who developed intraoperative dural lacerations/penetration demonstrated the single-layer sign (2 patients: large central mass) or the double-layer sign (3 patients: hyperdense/hypodense/hyperdense layers) on preoperative 2-dimensional CT studies. All 5 patients were managed with complex dural repair (sheep pericardial grafts, fibrin sealant, microfibrillar collagen) and had shunts placed (wound-peritoneal and lumboperitoneal).

RESULTS: After complex dural repair/shunting, all 5 intraoperative dural lacerations (DLs) resolved. The application of low-pressure wound-peritoneal shunts was unique to this study (Uni-Shunts, Codman, Johnson and Johnson, Dorchester, Mass). The proximal end is placed lateral/parallel to the fibula strut graft/plate complex, whereas the distal catheter is tunneled into the peritoneum in the right upper quadrant (always prepared and draped in anticipation of the need for a shunt).

CONCLUSIONS: Of 82 patients undergoing multilevel anterior corpectomy for OPLL/kyphosis, 5 developed intraoperative DLs successfully managed with a complex dural repair, wound-peritoneal, and lumboperitoneal shunting procedures.