Delayed Postoperative Paraplegia and Graft Infection after a Thoracoabdominal Dissection

Abstract

We report the successful treatment of thoracoabdominal dissection, which extended into the left iliac artery, despite two independent complications: graft infection and a relatively rare, delayed postoperative paraplegia. The paraplegia suddenly occurred on postoperative day 10, and after an intravenous infusion of heparin and methylprednisolone, it gradually subsided. Moreover, graft infection was diagnosed on postoperative day 27, and with continuous irrigation of antibiotic treatment it was cured without recurrence of infection. Although anticoagulation therapy is not indicated for paraplegia, we suppose that it might be used as an adjunct therapeutic.