Background: The aims of the study were to compare (i) the effects of transcatheter arterial embolization on initial hemostasis and the control of rebleeding in the treatment of hemorrhage due to hepatic artery injury; and (ii) the outcomes of embolization by different locations.
Methods: Subjects were 32 patients with suspected hepatic artery injury who were transferred to Chi-Mei Foundation Medical Center for hepatic angiography and embolization. The causes of arterial injury included liver trauma (n = 15) and iatrogenic injury (n = 17). The sites of embolization were classified into four groups: group 1 (n = 8) was classified as 'combined outlet, target and inlet control' with embolization of the vascular lesion (target) and hepatic artery distal (outlet) and proximal (inlet) to the vascular lesion simultaneously; group 2 (n = 11) as 'combined target and inlet control'; group 3 (n = 8) as 'combined outlet and inlet control'; group 4 (n = 5) as 'inlet control' only.
Results: Successful initial hemostasis was achieved in 30 of the 32 patients (93.8%), with two failures, both of which were caused by liver injury and occurred in subjects in group 4. Rebleeding was seen in three patients who had successful initial hemostasis: two of them in group 4 (66.7%) and one in group 1 (12.5%). All rebleedings were successfully managed by repeat embolization. Abscess formation was found in two group 1 patients, and both were successfully managed by percutaneous drainage.
Conclusions: Transcatheter arterial embolization is an effective method for hemostasis in hepatic artery hemorrhage for both patients with liver trauma and patients with iatrogenic injuries to the hepatic artery. Based on this experience, embolization of the vascular lesion and/or the arterial lumen distal to the vascular lesion combined with inlet control is recommended for preventing recurrent hemorrhage, but studies with larger sample sizes will be required to validate this conclusion.