Mechanical Thrombectomy Using Double Stent Retriever Technique for Acute Ischemic Stroke Following Embolism From the Pulmonary Vein Stump After Left Upper Lobectomy: A Case Report.

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) following pulmonary lobectomy, which is traditionally attributed to air embolism and atrial fibrillation (AF), may occur after thrombus formation in the pulmonary vein stump (PVS). Herein, we document the mechanical thrombectomy (MT) of a carotid bifurcation occlusion post-left upper lobectomy (LUL) to manage AIS. A 76-year-old male with a history of diabetes, dyslipidemia, and a treated dural arteriovenous fistula at the transverse sigmoid junction, with no history of AF, successfully underwent LUL for a pulmonary tumor. The patient independently walked on postoperative day 1. He developed right hemiparesis and total aphasia on the morning of the second day after surgery, which was discovered by the nursing staff. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed an occlusion of the left common carotid artery (CCA). Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) was not administered owing to recent surgery. An urgent MT using multiple MT techniques carried out 90 minutes after the discovery of symptoms only achieved partial recanalization. Subsequently, a double stent retriever technique (DSRT) addressed the occlusion in the common and cervical internal carotid artery (ICA). Following this, a T occlusion was encountered, which was addressed with a combined approach using a single stent retriever (SR), achieving a thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) grade 2b result. However, postoperative aphasia and severe right hemiparesis remained. Postoperative imaging showed a significant left cerebral hemisphere infarction and a thrombus in the PVS. Oral edoxaban was administered, and PVS thrombosis did not recur. The patient was transferred to a rehabilitation facility 190 days post-embolization with a modified Rankin Scale score of 4. In this report, we demonstrate the challenging case of the DSRT in addressing AIS after LUL, which led to the formation of a massive thrombus and occlusion of the carotid artery, as revealed by the PVS. This case emphasizes the importance of collaborative efforts between thoracic surgeons and all staff involved in stroke care in managing such complex scenarios.