[Postoperative spinal cord ischemia in thoracoabdominal aneurysms]

Abstract

At the present article, 12 cases of paraplegia secondary to the surgical treatment of thoracoabdominal aneurysms are presented. Study includes patients admitted between 1973-1987 for treatment and rehabilitation of its medular injury. Factors of risk, surgical technics practiced, peroperative complications and type of medular injury are analyzed. The most common medular injury was an anterior medular syndrome (rather than 60%). In the same way, preventive methods are analyzed and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) and motor evoked potentials (MEP), both in developing phase at the present moment, are recommended as the most viable method for detecting changes during the surgical procedure.