Empiric Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Massive or Recurrent Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Ten-year Experience from a Single Tertiary Care Center

Purpose In patients with massive or recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) which is not amenable to endoscopic therapy, angiographic interventions are often employed. We report our ten-year experience of empiric transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for patients with massive or recurrent GIB. Methods All patients who had undergone empiric TAE at our hospital between March 2004 and June 2015 were identified using the institutional radiology information system. A retrospective chart review was performed using a structured pro forma. Technical success rate, 30-day clinical success rate, 30-day mortality rate, and rate of procedural complications were computed. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Results A total of 32 patients had undergone empiric TAE for GIB during the study period. The median age of subjects was 56 years and two-thirds of them were male (68.7%). Gastroduodenal (n=24), ileocolic (n=3), left gastric (n=2), right gastroepiploic (n=1), and branches of superior and middle rectal arteries (n=1) were embolized using microcoils (n=25), polyvinyl alcohol particles (n=25), and gelatin sponge (n=3)--either alone or in combination. Technical and 30-day clinical success rates were 96.9% (31/32) and 71.9% (23/32), respectively. The 30-day mortality rate for our cohort was 21.9% (7/32). One patient developed re-bleeding at two days after the initial procedure and required repeat embolization. Coil migration (n=3) and access site hematoma (n=1) were the observed procedural complications. Conclusion Empiric TAE can be a useful treatment option for selected patients with massive or recurrent GIB that is not amenable to endoscopic therapy.