“Poking the Beast”: Urgent Embolization of Abdominal Wall Hemorrhage

Introduction: Abdominal wall hemorrhage secondary to trauma or iatrogenic cause has to be identified immediately and managed accordingly. In this study we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of n-butyl cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) in endovascular or percutaneous embolization of abdominal wall hemorrhage.

Method(s): A retrospective study of cases of admitted from January 2022 to December 2022 in our department revealed eight patients with abdominal wall hemorrhage who underwent digital subtraction angiography followed by either percutaneous or endovascular embolization with n-BCA. Demographic and hemorrhagic risk factors, etiology, embolized vessel, technical success, clinical success, complications inherent to the procedure, and clinical outcome (mortality in 30 days) were evaluated.

Result(s): Majority of patients presented hemorrhagic risk factors (chronic liver disease and anticoagulation drug usage). Seven cases were iatrogenic and one case was trauma-related. Technical success was achieved in 100% of the patients. There were no complications inherent to the procedures.

Conclusion(s): The present study concludes that embolization with n-BCA is a safe and effective treatment for abdominal wall hemorrhage in an urgent scenario, with high rates of technical and clinical success.

Publication History

Article published online:
09 February 2023