A Successful Endovascular Treatment of an Ischemic Stroke following Cardiac Surgery

Ischemic stroke following cardiac surgery is one of the devastating complications that surgeons may encounter, and may lead to serious disabilities for the patient. The clinical course of such a complication may be prolonged if it is not treated properly. Making a quick decision when choosing a revascularization method is very helpful in this matter. Effective treatment options are usually limited. Neurointerventional maneuvers have recently emerged as a possible therapeutic modality in this field. We present the case of a 52-year-old woman who had open heart surgery in Queen Alia Heart Institute, Jordan, to replace a severely stenotic rheumatic mitral valve and repair a leaking tricuspid valve. Her surgery went smoothly with no major event. However, she developed a massive ischemic stroke during her recovery period despite being on adequate anticoagulation therapy. Urgent radiological work-up confirmed the diagnosis of ischemic stroke in the territory of the right middle cerebral artery. We chose a neuro-interventional method for her treatment, and mechanical thrombectomy was performed with a successful outcome and no apparent complications.