Repair of common carotid artery injury with an external carotid artery flap.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a new technique to repair injuries of the common carotid artery.


METHODS
A 30-year-old man sustained an iatrogenic injury to the left common carotid artery during surgical dissection of a left branchial cyst. The artery was repaired as follows: the left external carotid artery was ligated distally, its stump was longitudinally opened to create an arterial flap, which was then used to repair the defect in the common carotid artery. The patient remained free of any symptoms throughout 1 year of follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of an external carotid flap provides an alternative method of repairing an injured carotid artery.
Vascular Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Teaching Hospital, Kuwait University. sami@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw
Sami
S
Asfar
Jasem
J
Al-Ali
Moneera
M
Ben-Nakhi
D000328:Adult; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D002342:Carotid Artery, External / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000009:adverse effects; D013524:Surgical Flaps