Continued lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage for management of cerebrospinal fluid leakage after spine operation

Objective:To evaluate the effect of continued lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage on cerebrospinal fluid leakage after spine operation.Methods:Twenty-four cases of cerebrospinal fluid leakage after spine operation were divided into two groups.Group A(13 cases) were applied wound dressing which was changed 1-3 times every day and performed compression;group B(11 cases) were managed by continued lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage.Results: The duration of cerebrospinal fluid leakage and wound drainage in group A were significant longer than that in group B(P0.05).In group A,2 cases whose cerebrospinal fluid leakage failed to decrease after one week resorted to the therapy of lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage,and the cerebrospinal fluid leakage ceased the next day;and 2 other cases in this group were complicated with spinal meningitis.There was no additional treatment or spinal meningitis in group B.Conclusions:Continued lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage is an effective therapy for postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage after spine operation.