Kamikubo Yasuhiro, Takahashi D, Koyama M, Itoh M, Takahira M
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kushiro City General Hospital, Kushiro, Japan.
Kyobu Geka. 2008 May;61(5):359-62.
A 68-year-old woman underwent aortic valve replacement to treat her aortic regurgitation. The operation was performed successfully. Just before coming off cardiopulmonary bypass, massive hemorrhage occurred through the endotracheal tube. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy could not find the bleeding site and 1,350 ml of blood had been lost. Bronchial angiography under percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass revealed the right middle branch to be the bleeding site. The endotrachial bleeding was treated successfully by selective coil embolization of the bronchial artery. No further bronchial bleeding occurred. Although we found the bleeding site, we could not identify the cause of hemorrhage.