Thromboemboli, acute right heart failure and disseminated intravascular coagulation after intraoperative application of a topical hemostatic matrix.

Topical hemostatic agents are frequently used in spine surgeries to control or reduce bleeding. Although there are a number of commercially available products, at our institution, an absorbable gelatin powder (Surgifoam) is mixed with bovine thrombin and used for this purpose. We report the case of a patient undergoing a posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis who developed acute right heart failure, cardiac arrest, and disseminated intravascular coagulation after probable intravascular hemostatic agent-induced emboli. Clinicians need to be aware of this potentially deadly complication associated with topical hemostatic agents.