A case of endovascular treatment for intestinal ischemia due to acute superior mesenteric artery embolism after TEVAR

Recently, the use of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for the treatment of aortic aneurysm is increasing. Therefore, complications associated with TEVAR are expected to increase. Here, we present a case of thrombus aspiration and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for superior mesenteric artery (SMA) embolism after TEVAR. A 69-year-old male patient with an aortic arch aneurysm received TEVAR. On the fourth post-operative day, he suddenly complained of strong abdominal pain. Since enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed SMA embolism, we urgently performed thrombus aspiration and PTA in two consecutive days. After these operations, almost all revascularization was achieved, although a partial occlusion remained. As a result, his symptoms improved, and no recurrence occurred. With the increased use of TEVAR, associated embolism may also increase. The combination of thrombus aspiration and PTA could be one effective option for such cases.