[Blunt disruption of the brachiocephalic artery]

A 59-year-old female having the disrupted brachiocephalic artery (BCA) and multiple bone fractures caused by a traffic accident was transferred to our hospital in a hypovolemic shock status with a wide mediastinum on the chest radiograph. Intraarterial digital subtraction angiography was effective in confirming the bleeding site of the artery. The patient underwent an urgent operation 4 hours and 22 minutes after admission. Through median sternotomy the BCA was simply clamped, followed by a direct suture repair of the 2/3-circumferential transection on the proximal portion of BCA. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course without any neurological complications.