What is epistaxis embolization?

Epistaxis is the medical term for a nosebleed. Generally, bleeding occurs in an area that is relatively accessible and controllable by an emergency department or ENT physician. In a minority of cases, however, the bleeding is in a more difficult location to control. In this type of situation, our team is activated to embolize the small blood vessels that are the source of the bleeding.

How is epistaxis embolization performed?

We obtain access to the arterial system through the artery in the leg or the wrist and navigate a tiny catheter into these blood vessels. We use a combination of microscopic beads, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or Embospheres, and a material called Gelfoam. Both effectively close down the arteries that are causing the bleeding. As a result, the bleeding will be controlled for the vast majority of patients.

A high degree of procedural experience is necessary to perform embolization in this region safely. A number of normal anatomical variants may be encountered that require in-depth head and neck anatomical knowledge to avoid injury to the eye or other structures. After the procedure is completed, the nasal packing used to initially control the bleeding is removed and patients are closely monitored for any signs of recurrent bleeding. Rarely, repeat embolization may be necessary to fully achieve a durable result.