Endovascular management of extrahepatic artery hemorrhage after pancreatobiliary surgery: clinical features and outcomes of transcatheter arterial embolization and stent-graft placement.

Objective: The objective of our study was to analyze the technical and clinical outcomes of endovascular treatment of patients with extrahepatic artery hemorrhage after pancreatobiliary surgery.

Methods: From January 2000 to September 2009, 27 patients who had undergone pancreaticobiliary surgery had an extrahepatic artery hemorrhage with or without a pseudoaneurysm were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients underwent diagnostic angiography and endovascular treatment-either transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) (n = 20) or stent-graft placement (n = 7).

Results: Bleeding sites were located in the gastroduodenal artery stump (n = 14), proper hepatic artery (n = 10), and common hepatic artery (n = 3). In the TAE group, the initial technical and clinical success rates were 100% and 90%, respectively. Two patients died of hepatic failure and multiorgan failure within 7 days after TAE. Hepatic ischemia and infarction were observed in six (33.3%, 6/18) and eight (44.4%, 8/18) patients, respectively. Hepatic abscess was observed in one patient (5.6%, 1/18) with hepatic infarction. The development of hepatic infarction was significantly associated with a serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level of more than 700 IU/L and a serum alanine transferase (ALT) level of more than 500 IU/L (p = 0.031 for both, Fisher exact test). In the stent-graft group, the initial technical and clinical success rates were 100% for both. Early stent thrombosis with bile duct necrosis was observed in one patient (14.3%). During the mean follow-up period of 22.8 months (range, 8-43 months), the intrahepatic arteries were patent on follow-up CT.

Conclusions: The endovascular treatments of TAE and stent-graft placement can be performed safely in most patients and are effective treatment options for extrahepatic artery hemorrhage after pancreatobiliary surgery. Moreover, stent-graft placement is better than TAE for preserving intrahepatic arterial flow without rebleeding from the extrahepatic artery.