A single institutional experience with suction thrombectomy in acute mesenteric ischemia

Abstract

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is typically treated by open surgery or hybrid techniques. Catheter-based aspiration thrombectomy represents another minimally invasive alternative with a potential additional safety benefit of minimizing the bleeding risk associated with thrombolytics. In this institutional case series, we present five clinical cases of aspiration thrombectomy for high-risk AMI using the Penumbra aspiration system. All patients underwent technically successful endovascular thrombectomy as demonstrated by intraoperative angiography results. However, bowel necrosis and sepsis adversely affected postoperative outcomes. Lack of intraoperative bowel assessment is a limitation of endovascular methods, highlighting the importance of patient selection.