Delayed permanent paraplegia after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm

J Vasc Surg. 2010 Mar;51(3):725-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2009.09.023.

Abstract

Spinal cord ischemia is a rare complication after abdominal aortic surgery and has been attributed to surgical devascularization of the spinal cord, atheroembolization of the cord circulation, or hypoperfusion of cord structures secondary to hypotension or cord edema. We present a diabetic, hypertensive 75-year-old male with endstage renal disease who presented with a 5.5 cm asymptomatic infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm, and concomitant 3.5 cm right common iliac artery aneurysm. After undergoing successful endovascular repair with an aorto-uni-iliac device, unilateral hypogastric artery embolization, and femoral-femoral bypass, he was discharged to a rehabilitation facility neurologically intact with a stage 2 decubitus ulcer. He returned on postoperative day 21 with a large stage 4 septic decubitus ulcer, fever, leukocytosis, hypotension, and paraplegia. We hypothesize that the compromised blood flow from the initial reconstruction, combined with the delayed hypotension imposed by sepsis, resulted in spinal cord infarction. He was eventually discharged to a nursing facility with no improvement in his neurologic status. We report the first case of significantly delayed permanent paraplegia after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysmorrhaphy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Angiography, Digital Subtraction
  • Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / diagnostic imaging
  • Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / surgery*
  • Aortography / methods
  • Blood Vessel Prosthesis
  • Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / adverse effects*
  • Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / instrumentation
  • Humans
  • Hypotension / etiology
  • Iliac Aneurysm / diagnostic imaging
  • Iliac Aneurysm / surgery*
  • Male
  • Paraplegia / etiology*
  • Sepsis / etiology
  • Spinal Cord Ischemia / etiology*
  • Surgical Wound Infection / etiology
  • Time Factors
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome