Pseudoaneurysm of the Inferior Epigastric Artery: A Rare Complication of Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair

Pseudoaneurysm of the inferior epigastric artery (IEA) is a recognized complication of surgery; however, it is a very rare clinical occurrence. The anatomic position of the IEA subjects patients to possible IEA injury during abdominal wall procedures that are close to the artery, such as insertions of drains, Tenckhoff catheters, laparoscopic trocars, or paracentesis. Treatment options include open surgery, percutaneous coil embolization, embolization with N-butyl cyanoacrylate, sonographic-guided thrombin injection, or sonographic-guided compression. We report the first case of a pseudoaneurysm arising from the IEA after a laparoscopic ventral hernia repair. To our knowledge, 17 IEA pseudoaneurysms have been reported, only 3 of which were spontaneous. The pseudoaneurysm in our patient was successfully treated by percutaneous injection of thrombin by interventional radiology.