Inferior vena cava endograft to control surgically inaccessible hemorrhage.

Abstract

Open surgical repair of retrohepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) injuries can be technically difficult, usually requiring extensive hepatic mobilization and associated with significant morbidity. We report a case of uncontrolled hemorrhage from the retrohepatic inferior vena cava (IVC), which occurred during attempted resection of a large retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma, and was successfully managed using an endoluminal stent-graft. This case demonstrates that endoluminal grafts can be successfully applied to control life-threatening hemorrhage arising from lesions in the retrohepatic IVC that are otherwise extremely difficult or inaccessible to direct surgical repair.