• Po-Ju Wu, Wen-Po Chiang, Chun-Wei Fu, and Ting-Kuo Chang.
• Department of Orthopedic, MacKay Memorial Hospital, No. 92, Sec. 2, Zhongshan N. Rd, Taipei, Taiwan.
• Eur Spine J. 2025 Jan 22.

PurposeSpine surgery, particularly deformity correction, is associated with a high risk of peri-operative or post-operative complications, and these complications can lead to catastrophic consequences. This case report will present the etiology and treatment process of the peri-operative cardiac arrest during scoliosis correction surgery.MethodIn this report, we present a case of cardiac arrest during posterior correction surgery in a 17-year-old female patient with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.ResultsThe patient was successfully treated using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and an intra-aortic balloon pump. We have discussed the potential causes of peri-operative cardiac arrest, including thromboembolism (VAE/PE), electrolyte imbalance (Hyper/Hypokalemia or Acidosis), hypovolemia, hypothermia, and cardiogenic shock related to neurogenic-stunned myocardium.ConclusionThere are many etiologies should be considered in peri-operative cardiac arrest during posterior correction spine surgery, such as venous air embolism and electrolyte imbalance. Stress cardiomyopathy, which occurs after stressful conditions, such as surgery should also be considered. Surgeons must consider these etiologies when faced with critical situations, and the successful treatment of such cases relies on team collaboration and prompt intervention.© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

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