Temporary extracorporeal axillo-iliac vascular prosthesis shunt in open repair of a pararenal aortic aneurysm.

INTRODUCTION: When a long aortic clamp time is expected or when upper body to lower body collateral arteries are sparse, temporary lower body perfusion may be needed to reduce ischemic injury during supraceliac clamping in open repair of pararenal aortic aneurysms. The use of conventional extracorporeal perfusion techniques carry extra risks and is not in the armamentarium of most vascular surgeons. An axillo-femoral or -iliac shunt using a vascular prosthesis does not require the same degree of anticoagulation and causes less activation of blood components. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A patient, who had extensive vascular stenotic disease and large bowel ischemia, was operated on for a pararenal aortic aneurysm while the lower body was perfused via a temporary extracorporeal vascular prosthesis axillo-iliac shunt. Copious backbleeding encountered while suturing the proximal anastomosis testified to the efficacy of the temporary shunt. A left hemicolectomy had to be performed for gangrene of the sigmoid colon and he needed 2 days of respiratory support; otherwise the postoperative course was uneventful. DISCUSSION: In our case more ischemic injury than that observed might have been expected without the temporary bypass but significant backbleeding may have negated some of the beneficial effect of the shunt.
CONCLUSION: A temporary axillo-femoral or -iliac shunt prevents lower limb ischemia and provides an ample amount of collateral blood flow to the torso. It does not need to be buried subcutaneously as previously described. Occlusive balloons should be used where possible to prevent backbleeding and to further increase available collateral blood supply.