Spine Stabilization Is a Risk Factor for the Development of Pelvic Iliac Vein Lesions

Abstract

Open lumbar spine stabilization surgery often requires mobilization of the left and right common iliac veins (CIVs) and the placement of plates and screws that can impinge on iliac veins. We reviewed our venography experience during the past 3 years to determine whether there is an association between spine stabilization surgery and the development of iliac vein lesions and symptomatic iliac vein outflow obstruction. A retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients who underwent venography with or without venous stenting and who had a history of previous lumbar spine stabilization. From January 2014 to April 2018, venography were performed in 1713 limbs in 1245 patients at the Center for Vascular Medicine. Of the 1245 patients, 17 patients had a history of lumbar spine stabilization procedures (4 anterior-posterior and 13 posterior). Nine had single-level and eight had two- or three-level fusions. All 17 patients demonstrated pelvic lesions, which included the following: one left CIV aneurysm, five left CIV stenoses, three bilateral CIV stenoses, two left CIV and inferior vena cava occlusions, and two external iliac vein stenoses. The aneurysm patient was treated with anticoagulation. Eight patients underwent stenting, and one patient refused stenting because of relocation to another country. One inferior vena cava-CIV occlusion could not be crossed. Fear of dislodging a thrombus and the proximity to a protruding posteriorly placed screw prevented stenting in two patients. Four patients had a venoplasty alone because of undersizing of a stenosis or missed lesions with intravascular ultrasound after review by a blinded reviewer. Lesions in anterior-posterior patients were extremely stenotic, required predilation, and resulted in a residual stenosis requiring venoplasty at a second setting in one patient. Lumbar spine stabilization surgery may be a risk factor for development of symptomatic venous outflow obstruction lesions. During venography and stenting in patients with anterior-posterior approaches, significant scarring may be encountered, resulting in a residual stenosis after stent placement. Predilation venoplasty, before stent deployment, is recommended to prevent stent migration. Furthermore, a history of spine stabilization surgery in patients presenting with pelvic or lower extremity pain or swelling should prompt consideration of a pelvic venous duplex ultrasound examination to assess for the presence of an iliac venous outflow lesion.