[Successful endovascular embolization in the vertebral artery after failed surgery in a patient with severe hemorrhagic shock]

Abstract

Injury of the vertebral artery following penetrating trauma is rare and treatment is usually a surgical double ligation. We report a case of a 19-year old man, suffering from potentially fatal haemorrhage related to a penetrating trauma of the left vertebral artery. After failure of surgery, bleeding has been successfully stopped by endovascular embolization. The patient did not suffer any ischaemic cerebral complication and was discharged from intensive care unit 24 hours later.