Intraoral ligation of the maxillary artery for posterior epistaxis

Intraoral ligation of the maxillary artery for intractable posterior epistaxis has been used effectively in 14 consecutive patients, all of whom had failed conventional anterior and posterior packing techniques. Fresh cadaver material was dissected in order to define the anatomic relationships of the infratemporal portion of the maxillary artery, as well as to develop the surgical technique prior to clinical application. The results indicate that this technique is rapid, safe, versatile, and effective in the majority of patients that require surgical interruption of the blood supply to the nose. The results of this study and the surgical technique are discussed.