A Novel Bypass Technique to Prevent Vexing Spinal Cord Ischemia in Endovascular Thoracoabdominal Aortic Intervention

Spinal cord ischemia remains a devastating complication when treating patients with complex thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms using fenestrated endovascular aortic repair. This approach is progressively deployed. However, to date, no strategy has been identified to reduce the feared risk of spinal cord ischemia.

To introduce a novel bypass technique using a customized composite graft to create a direct extra-anatomic revascularization before fenestrated endovascular aortic repair in patients with high-risk of spinal cord ischemia.

To demonstrate this novel concept, we present here a clinical case that reports the strategy of this novel concept in detail. An 83-year-old man with medical history of endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm and thoracic aorta presented with a type IA endoleak, located along the posterior superior aspect of the aortic stent graft adjacent to the lumbar arteries. A multidisciplinary plan was developed, which included a novel bypass from the profunda femoris to the left L1 radicular artery before fenestrated endovascular aortic repair to prevent spinal cord ischemia.

The patient successfully receives the novel extra-anatomic revascularization bypass before fenestrated endovascular aortic repair. During the first implementation of this strategy, no intraoperative difficulties and postoperative complications were observed.

This case demonstrates a novel surgical technique before fenestrated endovascular aortic repair for prevention of spinal cord ischemia. In addition, this concept provides a promising direction to not only complement the existing surgical techniques but also to generate more future innovations.