Acute iliac arterial thrombosis during laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection.

BACKGROUND

Acute iliac arterial thrombosis during surgery is very rare complication. There were few reports on this complication relative to gastroenterological surgery, and the risk has not been recognized.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 70-year-old man, diagnosed with a rectal cancer (adenocarcinoma of rectum) with known history heavy cigarette smoking with no known history of peripheral vascular disease underwent a laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection. He presented severe pain in the left leg in the recovery room. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the complete obstruction of the left common iliac artery. A successful revasculization was achieved through a thrombotectomy and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with a stent immediately after the diagnosis. The pain in the left leg disappeared immediately after the revasculization.

CONCLUSION

An acute arterial thrombosis is a potential complication of the laparoscopic colorectal surgery with the lithotomy position.