Preoperative balloon-tipped catheter placement for proximal control in visceral artery aneurysm surgery

A 13 cm false aneurysm of the common hepatic artery developed after repeated episodes of pancreatitis in a 47-year-old man with diabetes who was undergoing chronic hemodialysis. A balloon-tipped catheter was positioned in the common hepatic artery before operation. This maneuver allowed proximal control of the aneurysm and suture closure of the hepatic artery defect with minimal dissection and blood loss in this high-risk patient.