title: Protected iliofemoral venous thrombectomy in a pregnant woman with pulmonary embolism and ischemic venous thrombosis.
abstract: Although thromboembolism is uncommon during pregnancy and the postpartum period, physicians should be alert to the possibility because the complications, such as pulmonary embolism, are often life threatening. Pregnant women who present with thromboembolic occlusion are particularly difficult to treat because thrombolysis is hazardous to the fetus and surgical intervention by any of several approaches is controversial. A 22-year-old woman, in her 11th week of gestation, experienced an episode of pulmonary embolism and severe ischemic venous thrombosis of the left lower extremity The cause was determined to be a severe protein S deficiency in combination with compression of the left iliac vein by the enlarged uterus. The patient underwent emergency insertion of a retrievable vena cava filter and surgical iliofemoral venous thrombectomy with concomitant creation of a temporary femoral arteriovenous fistula. The inferior vena cava filter was inserted before the venous thrombectomy to prevent pulmonary embolism from clots dislodged during thrombectomy When the filter was removed, medium-sized clots were found trapped in its coils, indicating the effectiveness of this approach. The operation resolved the severe ischemic venous thrombosis of the left leg, and the patency of the iliac vein was maintained throughout the pregnancy without embolic recurrence. At full term, the woman spontaneously delivered an 8-lb, 6-oz, healthy male infant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Civeli
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benvenuti
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toscano
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miraldi
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capannini
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muzzi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sassi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007084:Iliac Vein / Q000601:surgery; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D018455:Protein S Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000601:surgery*; D017131:Thrombectomy / Q000379:methods*; D016306:Vena Cava Filters; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*