Open liver trauma causing hepatico caval fistula successfully treated by embolization

Area of Science:

• Interventional Radiology
• Vascular Surgery
• Hepatobiliary Medicine

Background:

• Traumatic arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) arise from vascular breaches between arteries and veins.
• Hepato caval fistulas are a rare but significant clinical entity.
• Open surgical repair is often replaced by endovascular techniques for intrahepatic AVFs.

Observation:

• A case of a right hepatic artery to right hepatic vein fistula following liver trauma is presented.
• The fistula was successfully treated via transarterial embolization.
• The procedure resulted in simple and favorable outcomes.

Findings:

• Transarterial embolization is an effective treatment for traumatic hepatic arteriovenous fistulas.
• Endovascular management has become the standard approach for these injuries.
• Minimally invasive techniques offer excellent results even with hepatic artery or vein involvement.

Implications:

• Interventional radiology has transformed the management of hepatic trauma.
• Conservative endovascular treatment is now the preferred strategy for hepatic AVFs.
• This approach minimizes morbidity and improves patient outcomes in liver trauma cases.