Double Incontinence as a First Symptom of Saddle Embolism of the Aorta Leads to Sudden Paraplegia

An aortic saddle embolus causing cauda equine syndrome followed by paraplegia is an exceedingly rare phenomenon in post-operative period in coronary artery bypass grafting. In non-CABG cases, reported documentation of neurological recovery from this event is even rarer. A 57-year-old male 8 days after uneventful OPCAP presented with severe lower extremity pain and sudden fecal and urinary incontinence, followed by the absence of pulsations in the lower limbs and paraplegia, during 20-minute period. He underwent immediate bilateral transfemoral embolectomy. The postoperative period was uneventful. The paraplegia recovered immediately after embolectomy and recovery from anesthesia. An angiography has been made to verify that a high origin of the great radicular artery above T12 level may be responsible for better recovery of paraplegia when its ostium obstructed by a saddle embolus relieved using embolectomy. Early surgical intervention in restoring the blood flow into the great radicular artery may prevent severe histological changes hitherto responsible for non-recovery from paraplegia in the earlier reports. Three unique characteristics of this article are as follows: 1) Occurrence of this complication in the post-operative period in off-pump CABG surgery; 2) Commencing of emboli with bizarre symptoms of double incontinence; 3) Combination of cauda equine syndrome and complete paralysis.