Surgical treatment of severe epistaxis: an eleven-year experience

Epistaxis is one of the most prevalent emergencies in ENT practice, and its surgical treatment is part of the routine at services for emergency care, especially in cases refractory to clinical procedures. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the profile of patients and the results this service has had in the surgical treatment of epistaxis for the last 11 years. METHOD: Data from 98 patients submitted to surgery for epistaxis between 2000 and 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Most in the sample were males, and mean age was around 46 years. Hypertension was identified in 58% of patients, and most events occurred during fall and winter. The re-bleeding rate was 13.27%. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that the surgical treatment for epistaxis, when indicated, had good success rates and low incidence of complications. In our service, it remains as the gold-standard procedure for nosebleeds refractory to initial management measures.