Hybrid management of a ruptured right subclavian artery aneurysm dissection

Aberrant right subclavian artery is the most common congenital malformation of the aortic arch (0.4%-2.0%). Aneurysms of aberrant subclavian arteries are extremely rare. This results in little experience with their treatment. We describe a case of a patient who presented to the emergency department with a dissection of an aberrant right subclavian artery that later progressed to rupture. Besides hemodynamic instability, this caused an acute superior vena cava syndrome, making airway control difficult. In the operating room, we obtained proximal control through thoracic endovascular aortic repair; median sternotomy was performed for distal control and evacuation of massive hemomediastinum

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia causing graft thrombosis and bowel ischemia postendovascular aneurysm repair

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an immune-mediated thrombocytopenia resulting from prior heparin exposure. It can be associated with limb- or life-threatening thrombotic events. Patients undergoing any vascular procedures including endovascular procedures that require heparin administration are at risk. There is very little reported in the literature with regards to thrombosis associated with HIT after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. All reported cases of HIT thrombosis presented as acute arterial lower limb ischemia or deep vein thrombosis. In this report, we present a case of HIT complicated by stent graft thrombosis and bowel ischemia

Paraplegia prevention branches: A new adjunct for preventing or treating spinal cord injury after endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aneurysms

In this report, we describe a technique that could potentially be used for both prevention and treatment of spinal cord ischemia (SCI) in endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aneurysms. This technique involves using a specially designed endograft with side branches (paraplegia prevention branches [PPBs]), which are left patent to perfuse the aneurysmal sac and any associated lumbar or intercostal arteries in the early postoperative period. The use of PPBs with this technique is feasible and allows for a temporary controlled endoleak that may be useful for preventing or reversing spinal cord injury. This technique may be considered as an adjunct to the more standard perioperative physiological manipulations such as permissive hypertension and spinal fluid drainage