Endoscopic control of the sphenopalatine artery for epistaxis: long-term results

The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate post-operative cessation of bleeding and late recurrence of epistaxis in a cohort of patients treated by endoscopic ligation of the sphenopalatine artery. Participants comprised patients undergoing sphenopalatine artery ligation for posterior epistaxis at three east Scotland hospitals. Main outcome measures were recurrence of epistaxis in the immediate post-operative period and at long-term follow up (minimum nine months). Forty-three patients (30 men and 13 women) underwent 45 procedures; two patients underwent bilateral ligation. Two patients suffered recurrence as in-patients. Two patients experienced subsequent epistaxis requiring medical treatment. Two further patients suffered minor late epistaxis not requiring treatment. Success in preventing significant recurrence was 93 per cent. All recurrences requiring intervention occurred within one month of surgery. None of the patients in this series reported nasal complications. We found sphenopalatine artery ligation to be an effective means of achieving long-term control of posterior epistaxis.