Radial Nerve Injury During Coronary Artery Surgery: Two Case Reports
Author Information
Author(s): Papadopoulou Marianna, Spengos Konstantinos, Papapostolou Apostolos, Tsivgoulis Georgios, Karandreas Nikolaos
Primary Institution: University of Athens School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, Athens, Greece
Hypothesis
Can external compression during coronary artery surgery lead to radial nerve injury?
Conclusion
External compression from a self retractor during coronary artery surgery can cause radial nerve injury, particularly in obese patients.
Supporting Evidence
- Both patients experienced wrist drop on the first postoperative day.
- Electrophysiological studies indicated a partial conduction block of the radial nerve.
- External compression from a sternal retractor was assumed to be the cause of the injury.
Takeaway
Sometimes, when doctors do surgery, they can accidentally press on a nerve, which can make it hard to move your arm. This happened to two men after heart surgery.
Methodology
Case reports detailing the clinical and electrophysiological findings of two patients who experienced radial nerve injury after coronary artery surgery.
Limitations
The study is based on only two cases, limiting the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Two obese men aged 52 and 50.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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