Perioperative Spinal Cord Injury in the Setting of Whipple Procedure for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma in a Patient With a History of Severe Cervical Stenosis

This case report describes a rare instance of perioperative spinal cord injury (POSCI) following a Whipple procedure. POSCI is a serious complication that can lead to significant disability and increased healthcare costs. A 65-year-old male with pre-existing conditions, including cervical stenosis, experienced a sudden loss of motor and sensory function after the surgery. This was found to be due to spinal cord compression and edema. Emergency surgery (cervical laminectomy) was performed to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord, and the patient underwent extensive rehabilitation. He showed improvement and was discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation facility.

• 1
  The patient experienced an acute change in neurological exam four hours following his surgery concerning for perioperative cervical spine injury of undetermined etiology.
• 2
  Emergency imaging revealed extensive chronic spinal canal stenosis with acute complete cord flattening at the C5 level with profound cord edema extending from C3 to T1.
• 3
  Following surgical intervention and multidisciplinary care, the patient had a purposeful neurological recovery and was discharged to an inpatient physical rehabilitation facility.