A patient with lower extremity weakness after recent endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm

Thrombosis of an endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is a devastating complication of a common surgical procedure that can lead to serious morbidity and mortality if not promptly recognized. This is the first case report of an EVAR graft thrombosis in the emergency medicine literature.

We present a case of a patient with lower extremity paraplegia secondary to thrombosis of an EVAR graft who presented to the emergency room with acute stroke-like symptoms after a recent EVAR procedure. Endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurisms is becoming more frequent, and an increased number of patients with recent abdominal aortic aneurism repair by endovascular grafts will be evaluated by emergency physicians in the future. Emergency physicians should be aware that signs of limb ischemia, which may masquerade as acute ischemic stroke-like symptoms, is one of the more serious complications that can occur with abdominal aortic vascular grafts. Among patients with lower extremity neurological deficits in the recent setting of EVAR presenting to an emergency department, there should be a high degree of suspicion for EVAR graft thrombosis, which can be diagnosed via the gold standard of CT angiography or ultrasonography. Prompt vascular surgery consultation is essential to minimize permanent disability.