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Single-stage hybrid procedure enables limb salvage in a patient with ovarian cancer and acute limb ischemiaHybrid procedure saves limb for woman with ovarian cancer

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Key Takeaway
Consider a hybrid open-endovascular approach for definitive revascularization in patients with acute limb ischemia.

This case report and literature review describes the management of a 60-year-old woman with active high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma who presented with acute limb ischemia. The patient underwent a single-stage hybrid procedure involving an open common femoral thromboembolectomy followed by contralateral endovascular treatment with overlapping self-expanding and balloon-expandable covered stents.

The primary outcomes were the restoration of inline flow and limb salvage. Histopathology of the thrombus revealed a bland fibrin-platelet-red-cell composition with lines of Zahn and negative AE1/AE3 immunostaining. At the 3-month follow-up, the limb remained viable with palpable distal pulses.

The authors note that the contribution of the PARP-inhibitor to the arterial thrombosis is speculative. The report highlights the utility of a hybrid open-endovascular strategy for definitive single-setting revascularization. It also emphasizes the clinical importance of excluding a cardioembolic source and confirming the thrombus nature histologically. Due to the single-case nature of the report, the findings are limited in generalizability.

How this fits prior evidence

This case report addresses a gap in managing acute limb ischemia in patients undergoing PARP-inhibitor therapy for ovarian cancer. While prior evidence confirms that PARP inhibitor maintenance improves progression-free survival in advanced ovarian cancer with HRD-positive status, this report highlights the potential for arterial thrombosis in this patient population. The report notes that the specific contribution of the PARP-inhibitor to the thrombosis is speculative.

Imagine the terrifying reality of a sudden blockage in your limb. For a 60-year-old woman battling high-grade serous ovarian cancer, this medical emergency happened while she was undergoing treatment. The blockage, known as acute limb ischemia, threatened her limb and required immediate action to restore blood flow.

Doctors used a hybrid approach to save her leg. They performed an open surgery to remove the clot and then used endovascular treatment, which involves placing stents inside the blood vessel. This two-part strategy successfully restored blood flow. At a three-month follow-up, her limb remained viable and she had palpable pulses in her foot.

While the case was successful, it highlights a complex situation. The patient was taking a medication called fuzuloparib. While the link between this specific medication and the blood clot is not confirmed, the case shows how a combined surgical and endovascular strategy can work in a single setting to save a limb when a patient faces multiple health challenges.

What this means for you:
A hybrid surgery and stent procedure successfully saved a patient's limb after a severe blood clot.

Common questions

What happened to the patient's limb?

The patient's limb remained viable at the three-month follow-up. Doctors confirmed that she had palpable distal pulses, which means they could feel the pulse in her foot. This indicates that the hybrid procedure successfully restored blood flow to the area.

What was the specific treatment used?

Doctors used a single-stage hybrid procedure. This included an open surgery to remove the clot followed by an endovascular treatment. The endovascular part involved using overlapping self-expanding and balloon-expandable covered stents to keep the blood vessel open.

Is the medication she was taking linked to the blood clot?

The patient was taking a medication called fuzuloparib. While the study notes that the contribution of this specific medication to the blood clot is speculative, the case highlights the importance of using a hybrid strategy to treat the blockage.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedOct 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Acute limb ischemia (ALI) is both limb- and life-threatening, and represents a vascular emergency. Malignancy produces a systemic hypercoagulable state that predisposes to arterial as well as venous thrombosis, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors—now central to maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer—have, in aggregate randomized data, been associated with only a borderline venous signal and no clearly demonstrated independent arterial signal. We report a 60-year-old woman with active high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma maintained on oral fuzuloparib who presented with Rutherford category IIa ALI of the right lower limb on a background of chronic bilateral atherosclerosis. Angiography demonstrated occlusion of the right common iliac–external iliac–common femoral–proximal superficial femoral segment with collateral reconstitution and, after dedicated cardiac evaluation (regular sinus rhythm on ECG, no arrhythmia on perioperative telemetry, normal transthoracic echocardiography without intracardiac thrombus or vegetation, and no critical carotid stenosis), no identifiable cardioembolic source. A single-stage hybrid procedure—open common femoral thromboembolectomy followed by contralateral (crossover) endovascular treatment of a residual flow-limiting dissection with overlapping self-expanding and balloon-expandable covered stents—restored inline flow and salvaged the limb; the retrieved material was submitted for histopathology, which demonstrated bland fibrin–platelet–red-cell thrombus with lines of Zahn and negative AE1/AE3 immunostaining, excluding tumour embolism. The patient was transitioned to therapeutic anticoagulation within a multidisciplinary framework, and at 3 months the limb remained viable with palpable distal pulses. This case illustrates cancer-associated arterial thrombosis superimposed on atherosclerosis—on a background that also included PARP-inhibitor exposure, whose independent contribution remains speculative—highlights a hybrid open–endovascular strategy for definitive single-setting revascularization, and underscores the importance of excluding a cardioembolic source and confirming thrombus nature histologically, while individualizing long-term anticoagulation that is necessarily extrapolated from cancer-associated venous thromboembolism evidence, with attention to drug–drug interactions, thrombocytopenia and bleeding risk.
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