PMID: 11911623Mar 26, 2002Paper

Thoracoabdominal aneurysm surgery and the risk of paraplegia: contemporary practice and future directions

The Journal of Extra-corporeal Technology
David A Zvara

Abstract

Thoracoabdominal aneurysm surgery is associated with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality. Spinal cord ischemia and the risks of paraparesis or paraplegia remain devastating complications. The mechanisms of spinal cord injury involve both acute ischemic injury and delayed reperfusion injury. Blood flow to the spinal cord frequently arises in the segment of the aorta requiring aortic cross clamping. As such, there is an obligate period of blood flow disruption. Multiple strategies have evolved to reduce the ischemic interval and to provide adjunct interventions to reduce the impact of the ischemia. Despite a multidisciplinary approach, a spinal cord ischemia is present in approximately 4 to 16% of patients, depending on the type of aneurysm and other comorbid diseases. Cerebral spinal fluid drainage, distal perfusion techniques, intercostal artery anastomosis, hypothermia techniques, and mechanisms of ischemic preconditioning are interventions employed to reduce the risk of paraplegia after thoracal-abdominal aortic surgery. Surgeons, anesthesiologists, and perfusionist are intimately involved in the decision making as to which interventions will be employed in a given case. Although these adjuncts have been evaluated in ...Continue Reading

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