Hepatic artery embolization to control liver hemorrhages by interventional radiologists: experiences from Khon Kaen University.

ABSTRACT

Between 2001 and 2005, nine patients with liver hemorrhage underwent non-surgical embolotherapy. There were six males and three females, ranging in age from 9 to 58 years. All patients were symptomatic with hypotension and decreasing hematocrit. Causes of liver hemorrhage included liver laceration following blunt abdominal injury (2 patients), pseudoaneurysms of hepatic artery following blunt abdominal trauma (4 patients), post-traumatic hepatic artery and portal vein pseudoaneurysm (1 patient), hemobilia following liver resection for cholangiocarcinoma (1 patient) and hepatic artery aneurysm with fistula to the common bile duct (1 patient). All patients had successful embolization of artery to control liver hemorrhage. No acute complication occurred. In conclusion, embolotherapy is an effective treatment with a low complication rate to stop liver hemorrhage, especially from an artery.