[Paraplegia secondary to surgery of the abdominal aorta]

We report the case of an 84 year-old man who suffered of paraplegia after surgery of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The neurologic status did not improve during 5 years of follow-up. This complication is rare in light of the review of the literature. It is more frequent after emergency (1.4%) and redux (19%) surgery than after elective surgery (1.1%). Its mechanisms are anatomic (occlusion of the Adamkievitz artery and of the pelvic collateral arteries) and hemodynamic mechanisms (thromboembolism, low systemic tension, long supra-renal clamping). Since pre-operative aortography to detect anatomic variations is not realistic, its only prevention remains maintenance of intra-operative hemodynamic, systemic heparinization, and preservation of the pelvic collateral circulation.