Transarterial embolization for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding: a retrospective bicentric study

Area of Science:

• Interventional Radiology
• Gastroenterology
• Vascular Medicine

Background:

• Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) poses significant clinical challenges.
• Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is an established endovascular technique for managing LGIB.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of TAE in patients with acute LGIB.
• To determine technical and clinical success rates, rebleeding, and complication rates associated with TAE for LGIB.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, bicentric study of 77 patients undergoing TAE for LGIB.
• Analysis of pre-procedural data including demographics, hemoglobin, and computed tomography angiography (CTA) findings.
• Assessment of technical success, 30-day clinical success, rebleeding, and ischemic complications.

Main Results:

• High technical success rate (98.7%) and 30-day clinical success rate (87%) for TAE in LGIB.
• Common cause of LGIB was angiodysplasia (36.2%); CTA detected active bleeding in 83% of cases.
• Rebleeding rate was 13%, and ischemic complication rate was 11.7%.

Conclusions:

• TAE is a safe and effective therapeutic option for acute LGIB.
• The procedure demonstrates high technical and acceptable clinical success rates.
• TAE should be considered a standard treatment for select LGIB patients, particularly when endoscopic options are unsuitable.