Preoperative angiographic guidewire localization of the bleeding small bowel segment

Angiography is helpful to detect the site of bleeding in patients with overt gastrointestinal bleeding. However, angiography sometimes cannot give bleeding location precisely to the surgeons particularly for small bowel bleedings. We described angiography-directed preoperative guidewire placement for localization of the bleeding during laparotomy. This method was used successfully in a 45-year-old women with overt small intestinal bleeding. Method was simple and effective. Catheter was kept in the artery for 45 minutes, guidewire pointed out the bleeding point as closer as 1 cm and a limited resection of bowel (15 cm) resolved the gastrointestinal bleeding. There was no complication because of surgery or interventional radiology, and the patient was discharged on day 6 uneventfully.