[Complications following transcatheter arterial embolization for massive hemorrhage associated with pelvic fracture].

Complications of internal iliac artery embolization were studied in 21 patients. The 9 male and 12 female patients were 12-70 years old (average 39). This procedure was carried out for control of hemorrhage due to pelvic fracture. Embolization was performed using gelfoam cubes (1-2 mm) for main internal iliac artery or its branches subselectively. In the earlier series, steel coils were placed in the internal iliac artery routinely after gelfoam embolization. In the group of 9 men, 4 male had impotence and 5 had no change in sexual function. As a possible post embolization neurological damage, 4 patients had sensory disturbance and 8 patients had gait disturbance. Three patients had dysuria and one of them had also difficulty in defecation. All these complications following internal iliac artery embolization are suspected to be due to associated injuries and varied effect of traumatic pelvic fracture than a result of the vascular occlusion. Percutaneous transcatheter therapeutic embolization is a safe and effective procedure of choice for controlling massive bleeding associated with pelvic fracture.