Spinal cord necrosis and paraplegia as complications of the intra-aortic balloon

Eight cases of paraplegia have resulted from over 100,000 insertions of the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP); however, in only one of these was a pathologic diagnosis determined. This report describes a case of IABP-caused paraplegia from spinal cord necrosis not associated with aortic dissection.