Free Esophageal Perforation Following Hybrid Visceral Debranching and Distal Endograft Extension to Repair a Ruptured Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Free esophageal perforation following a hybrid visceral debranching and distal endograft extension to repair a ruptured thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) is a rare complication. The authors report a 56-year-old male who underwent elective thoracic endovascular aortic repair of a thoracic aneurysm. Four and a half years later, he presented with a new aneurysm extending from the distal end of the thoracic stent graft to the aortic bifurcation involving all the visceral arterial branches. The TAAA ruptured while he was awaiting an elective repair, and as a result, he underwent an emergency hybrid procedure. This involved debranching the visceral arterial branches including autotransplantation of the left kidney and distal endograft extension. Postoperatively, he developed free esophageal perforation secondary to ischemic necrosis requiring esophageal resection and gastric pull-up. The patient was well 6 months after the gastrointestinal restorative procedure. Thus, esophageal perforation following an emergency hybrid repair of ruptured TAAA is a rare complication, and a successful outcome depends on early recognition and surgical exclusion of the ruptured viscus.