[Rescue of postoperative carotid blowout in head and neck neoplasms].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevention and rescuing measures of postoperative fatal bleeding induced by carotid blowout in head and neck tumors.


METHODS
Seven cases with postoperative carotid bleeding treated from October 2003 to August 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. Of the patients, 6 were with common carotid blowout and one with internal carotid artery blowout. All patients underwent pre- or post-operative radiotherapy for primary head and neck tumours and 3 patients had neck defect repair with deltopectoral skin flap, frontal flap or free radial arm flap respectively. After carotid blowout bleeding, the patients were treated in time with X ray transcatheter intervention including transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) and self-expanding covered stent implantation, followed by repairing the carotid region with appropriate myocutaneous flaps.


RESULTS
Of 7 patients with carotid blowout, 5 patients were successfully rescued with X ray transcatheter intervention, of them 2 with self-expanding covered stent implantation and 2 with TAE respectively, and other 2 patients died due to rapid bleeding. Of the successfully rescued patients, 2 patients were with the repair of carotid area by pectoralis major myocutaneous flap, one by submental flap and one by local flap, but another one not with flap repair. Follow-up showed the 3 patients rescued with self-expanding covered stent implantation were survival for 6, 12, and 20 months, respectively, and the 2 patients rescued with TAE died of repeated carotid blowout in 2 and 13 months later, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The planned and timely X ray transcatheter intervention is an effective method to treat carotid blowout bleeding in the patients underwent head and neck tumour surgeries. Compared with TAE, self-expanding covered stent implantation may be more reliable for restoring the blood supply of head and neck region, with less complications. One-stage repair of carotid region with myocutaneous flap is of great importance to protect the carotid and to promote the wound healing.
Liu
Ming-bo
MB
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, China. mingboy00200@yahoo.com.cn
Wu
Wen-ming
WM
Wang
Jia-ling
JL
Wang
Jun
J
Liu
Liang-fa
LF
Zhao
Hui
H
Huang
De-liang
DL
Han
Dong-yi
DY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*