{
  "abstract": "BACKGROUND: Placement of a subfascial drain following open spine surgery is common practice to mitigate postoperative complications, including epidural hematoma, seroma formation, surgical site infection, and wound dehiscence. The authors present 3 cases in which subfascial Hemovac drains were associated with postoperative durotomy following otherwise uncomplicated lumbar surgeries.\n\nOBSERVATIONS: Three patients who underwent single-level lumbar surgery requiring postoperative drain placement subsequently developed CSF leaks, presumed to be secondary to intracorporeal drain movement consistent with the Euler buckling theory.\n\nLESSONS: In patients undergoing uncomplicated single-level lumbar spine surgery, consideration should be given to the use of a silicone Jackson-Pratt drain rather than a compression-resistant polyvinyl chloride Hemovac drain. In a small surgical bed, a shorter and more compliant drain may be sufficient, whereas a stiff drain may act as a trocar.\n\nhttps://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE2640",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Division of Neurosurgery, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, Vermont",
    "Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island",
    "Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, Vermont"
  ],
  "article_type": "case report",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Katherine W. Zerebiec"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Darien L. Love"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Katherine E. Callahan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Thomas Khodadad",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-9920-6511"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Elizabeth E. Wicks",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4400-9499"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Craig Methot"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Erik Werheim"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Raj Thakrar"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Chason Ziino"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Bruce I. Tranmer",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-5624-8922"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ryan P. Jewell"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9f926p4jk03eg.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3171/case2640",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13700075/",
  "id": "9f926p4jk03eg",
  "issns": [
    "2694-1902"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.3171/case2640",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Case Lesson"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2728|Neurosurgical Procedures and Complications"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223836557",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13700075?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13700075",
  "pmid": "42933014",
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "publisher": "American Association of Neurological Surgeons",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9f926p4jk03eg.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:35Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13700075",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3171/case2640"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:01Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42933014",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42933014"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2728|Neurosurgical Procedures and Complications",
      "subfield": "neurology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Delayed incidental dural tears from subfascial drains after spine surgery: illustrative cases",
  "title_text": "Delayed incidental dural tears from subfascial drains after spine surgery: illustrative cases",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:36:33Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9f926p4jk03eg",
  "venue": "Journal of Neurosurgery: Case Lessons",
  "versions": []
}