[Endovascular management of iatrogenic vascular injuries: a retrospective study of 21 cases]

To evaluate the early outcome of endovascular management of iatrogenic vascular injury (IVI).

From July 2002 to July 2010, 21 cases of IVI undergoing endovascular therapy were studied retrospectively. There were aorta injury (n = 2), peripheral artery injury (n = 11), visceral artery injury (n = 5), arteriovenous injury (n = 1) and venous injury (n = 2). And the procedures included endograft implantation (n = 15), intravascular embolization with coil (n = 4), combination of endovascular balloon intervention and percutaneous thrombin injection (n = 1) and balloon compression for hemostasis (n = 1).

Technical success was achieved in all patients. And clinical success, defined as arrested hemorrhage and hemodynamic stabilization, was obtained in 20 (95.2%) patients. There was one case of intra-operative mortality. After the procedure, there were cerebral infarction (n = 2) and partial renal infarction (n = 1). Among them, 19 patients received a median follow-up period of 23.9 months (range: 4 - 84 months). Only 1 patient with iliofemoral vein stent implantation developed stent collapse and thrombosis at Week 3. There were no other complications.

Endovascular therapy is an effective procedure in the management of different types of IVI. Despite its encouraging early results, the long-term outcomes require further follow-ups and observations.