A Case Report of Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair Under Local Anesthesia With Resolution of Acute-Onset Lower Extremity Paraplegia From an Acute Complicated Type B Aortic Dissection

Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is a rare presenting symptom of acute complicated type B aortic dissection, occurring in approximately 3% of patients . We present a case report of a patient with this presentation who had observed resolution of his paraplegia symptoms immediately after placement of a thoracic stent graft under local anesthesia. The temporal association between true lumen flow restoration and paraplegia resolution intraoperatively is a novel finding. We feel that this case report may provide support for recognized cord perfusion theory , as well as contribute to the understanding of the time frame associated with SCI and reversibility of paraplegia.