CONTINUOUS EPIDURAL ANESTHESIA

Description of Event or Problem

PATIENT WAS HAVING A KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY WITH EPIDURAL ANESTHESIA. AT THE END OF THE PROCEDURE WHILE THE EPIDURAL WAS BEING REMOVED, THE END OF THE CATHETER BROKE OFF AND WAS RETAINED WITHIN THE PATIENT. THEY WERE UNABLE TO MANUALLY RETRIEVE THE RETAINED PIECE OF CATHETER. IMAGING WAS DONE TO LOCATE THE PIECE WITHIN THE PATIENT. AFTER IT WAS IDENTIFIED TO BE IN THE PATIENT, SURGERY WAS PERFORMED AND THE RETAINED PIECE WAS SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED FROM THE PATIENT INTERSPINOUS SPACE. THE PATIENT HAD SOME PAIN PRIOR TO REMOVAL BUT NO OTHER DEFICITS RELATED TO THE RETAINED PIECE.