Persistent Buttock Claudication after Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Abstract

We describe the successful surgical treatment of a 71-year-old man affected by right buttock claudication after a right internal iliac artery (IIA) coil embolization as an adjunct to endovascular iliac artery aneurysm repair. Computed tomography angiography revealed extensive aortoiliac calcifications and thrombus in the vessel walls. Despite patency of the contralateral IIA and preservation of right distal collateral flow through ipsilateral hypogastric branches, the symptom was persistent and disabling. The high-risk patient underwent an open repair of the infrarenal abdominal aneurysm with removal of the entire stent-graft and concomitant revascularization of the right IIA. Post-operative recovery was uneventful, and the patient remained asymptomatic during a 30-month follow-up. This case underscores the importance of considering all potential solutions, including open surgery, to preserve pelvic inflow after aortoiliac stent grafting, particularly for high-risk patients with vulnerable plaque and higher risk of thrombus embolization.