2023 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 189-192
A 15-year-old girl who had undergone a tracheostomy 4 years earlier because of holoprosencephaly and severe mental and physical disabilities had tracheo-innominate artery fistula with sudden-onset bleeding after endotracheal suctioning. Due to respiratory and circulatory instability, VIABAHN® was implanted in the brachiocephalic artery, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 33. Three months later, rebleeding from the tracheostomy site was observed, and the patient was transported to our hospital. Although the bleeding stopped spontaneously on arrival, the patient experienced multiple bleeding episodes after admission. Therefore, transection of brachiocephalic artery was performed, after which the patient was discharged on postoperative day 20. Tracheo-innominate artery fistula is a rare complication that occurs after tracheostomy, but it is associated with a poor prognosis, and has a mortality rate of 100% if left untreated. Our case suggests that endovascular treatment using VIABAHN® for tracheo-innominate artery fistula is useful for temporary hemostasis.
