title: Carotid artery injury during mandibular distraction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mandibular distraction is an effective treatment for mandibular hypoplasia. Special care must be done while performing the corticotomies to prevent injuries to blood vessels or nerves nearby. A rare iatrogenic severe injury occurred while performing this operation.
  A 3 year-old girl was operated upon to correct mandibular hypoplasia. A rotating saw was used to perform corticotomies in the mandibular angle. In the right side occurred acute bleeding and in the saw there was a piece of a blood vessel that was 15 mm long and 2 mm in diameter with an open lumen. Exploration of the neck revealed that the most distal segment of the internal carotid artery was severed, with a thrombus in the proximal end. The distal segment retracted into the temporal bone without bleeding. The proximal artery was ligated. After recovery she moved well. A computed tomogram was normal and further condition improved clinically.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This complication from the use of a rotary saw has not been documented previously and it must be prevented by using some protection behind the bone.
authors: Estheticos clinic, Tijuana BC, Mexico.
authors: Alicia
authors: A
authors: Sigler
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Gutiérrez
authors: Alfredo
authors: A
authors: Harris
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Capiz
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Uriarte
mesh_terms: D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D002341:Carotid Artery Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D019186:Mandibular Advancement / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D008844:Micrognathism / Q000601:surgery; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction / Q000009:adverse effects*