Use of the Fogarty embolectomy catheter as an "internal tourniquet".

The Fogarty embolectomy catheter has been found useful in minimizing blood loss in large surgical procedures about the hip and pelvis. Its utility lies in the ability to achieve temporary intraluminal occlusion of the common iliac artery while the proposed surgical procedure is being carried out. The technique of instrumentation is simple, rapid, and can be carried out using no special instruments other than the catheter itself. The instrumentation adds little, if any, additional time to the surgical procedure, and in fact may significantly shorten it by achieving earlier definitive hemostasis. Fogarty catheters, a part of the regular armamentarium of vascular surgeons, are readily available at most institutions.