Innominate Artery Injury: A Catastrophic Complication of Tracheostomy in a Trauma Patient, Operative Procedure Revisited.

ABSTRACT

Tracheostomy is a routine life-saving operative procedure in the event of airway obstruction especially in faciomaxillary injuries. Bleeding is the most common complications of tracheostomy, innominate artery (IA) of normal width reaching second tracheal ring is very rare, and injury to IA can be a catastrophic complication. We reported a case of 40-year-old male presented with profuse bleeding from oral and nasal cavity following road traffic injury. During tracheostomy, there was a sudden forceful gush of blood coming out of incision site, warning a major vessel injury. Right-sided trap door thoracotomy procedure was performed, and the avulsed right IA was repaired as a life-saving procedure.