Stroke During Hip Surgery.

During hip replacement, acetabular and femur bone preparation may cause bone marrow extravasation. Paradoxical fat embolism occurs when emboli pass from the pulmonary to the systemic circulation by either a patent foramen ovale or pulmonary capillaries. Impaired consciousness in the immediate postoperative period of orthopedic surgery frequently results from hypovolemia, anemia, or residual anesthesia. A high index of suspicion is required to consider the possibility of paradoxical fat embolism.