Stentgraft-implantation for treatment of internal carotid artery injury during endonasal sinus surgery.

BACKGROUND

Damage of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is very rare but can be a dramatic complication of endonasal sinus surgery. In the literature only a few cases are reported, some of them with fatal results.

METHODS

We present two cases with massive bleeding of the ICA caused by endonasal sinus surgery.

RESULTS

In both cases bleeding could be stopped sufficiently by implanting a stentgraft.

CONCLUSION

The lumen of the artery could be preserved and no neurological deficits were observed.