LIGATION OF THE EXTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY FOR PERSISTENT NASAL HEMORRHAGE

Abstract

Not many instances of ligation of the external carotid artery for severe nasal hemorrhage are given in the literature. Hyde¹reported a case of what he terms idiopathic nasal hemorrhage which was ultimately controlled by ligation of the external carotid artery. This appears to be the only case in which the external carotid artery was tied for essential nasal hemorrhage. There are, however, many reports of the ligation of the common carotid artery. Bartlett and McKittrick²presented a paper on a case of secondary hemorrhage in which the common carotid artery was ligated. A review of their references shows that many cases of hemorrhage from the nose and throat, either spontaneous or postoperative, could have been controlled by a less formidable procedure than ligation of the common carotid artery; namely, by ligation of the external carotid artery. Spontaneous hemorrhage from inoperable malignant conditions of the jaw, antrum