[Our experience with surgical treatment of posterior epistaxis. Report of 16 cases].

Management of intractable posterior epistaxis remains a challenge to the otolaryngologist. When anterior and posterior packing techniques fail to control the hemorrhage, a surgical technique designed to interrupt the blood supply to the posterior parts of the nose is indicated. The common procedures employ ligation of the external carotid artery, of the maxillary artery and its terminal branch the sphenopalatine artery. Those procedures performed on 16 patients are clearly described and the indications for each one are established. Immediate control of bleeding was accomplished in 14 of 16 patients. Two patients had postoperatively recurrent but less severe epistaxis.