# A Giant Calcified Thoracic Hernia: A Case Report and Analysis of Complications

## TL;DR

This paper presents a rare case of a giant calcified thoracic disc herniation and the severe complications that arose during its surgical treatment.

## Contribution

The paper highlights critical technical challenges and pitfalls in managing giant calcified thoracic hernias through a detailed case report.

## Key findings

- Surgical management of giant calcified thoracic hernias can lead to severe complications such as spinal cord injury and infection.
- Wrong-level discectomy and incomplete resection are significant risks in these complex surgeries.
- Multidisciplinary planning and accurate level localization are essential to reduce perioperative morbidity.

## Abstract

Giant calcified thoracic disc herniations are rare and represent a major surgical challenge due to their association with myelopathy, vascular compromise, and high perioperative morbidity. We report the case of a 62-year-old woman with progressive myelopathy secondary to a giant calcified thoracic disc herniation at the T7-T8 level. Surgical management via a lateral extracavitary approach was complicated by wrong-level discectomy, incomplete resection of the calcified disc, progressive spinal cord injury, cerebrospinal fluid fistula, infectious complications, and death. This case highlights critical technical pitfalls and emphasizes the importance of accurate level localization, vascular planning, and multidisciplinary management in complex thoracic spine surgery.