Haemostasis by angiographic embolisation in exsanguinating haemorrhage from facial arteries. A report of 2 cases.

Life-threatening exsanguinating haemorrhage from arteries of the face following trauma is uncommon. When it occurs it is often located in the relatively inaccessible parts of the vessels and requires deep face or neck exploration and ligation of the main feeding vessel. The procedure requires expert head and neck vascular surgery performed under general anaesthesia, which is often not suitable in these haemodynamically unstable patients. In addition, surgery is often rendered more difficult by the associated post-traumatic swelling and disfigurement. Because of these considerations, angiographic embolisation of the bleeding vessels was performed as an alternative to surgical exploration. This report illustrates its use in achieving haemostasis in 2 patients.