Minimally invasive intervention for acute bleeding from a pseudoaneurysm after revision hip arthroplasty

After multiple revisions of her right hip arthroplasty, an 83-year-old woman developed deep infection with a chronic draining sinus. In August 2002 severe acute bleeding occurred through this fistula. Angiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm of the right external iliac artery. Because of the multiple pathologies affecting this ASA grade IV patient, conventional surgical treatment was considered to be contra-indicated, and a stent was placed percutaneously under fluoroscopic control to seal the vascular laceration. No haematoma and no further bleeding was observed on the control CT-scan or at angiography. However the patient died with terminal renal failure forty days later. The case reported shows a rare complication of total hip arthroplasty. The method used in this case to seal the leakage, using a covered stent, is uncommon but effective in cases where conventional surgery is contra-indicated.