Left Subclavian Artery Revascularization for Delayed Paralysis after Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair

Abstract

Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is a devastating complication following thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). A man with a ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) was transferred to our hospital. Emergency TEVAR, with left subclavian artery (LSA) coverage, was performed for the ruptured TAA. On postoperative day two, the patient had incomplete paralysis in his legs, presumably caused by SCI. We performed LSA revascularization (LSAR) to provide blood supply to the spinal cord; his paralysis improved and almost resolved after surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first report on LSAR's efficacy for delayed paraplegia due to SCI.