Sphenopalatine artery ligation under local anesthesia: A report of two cases and review of the literature

Abstract

Epistaxis is the commonest emergency in otorhinolaryngology. Over the last decade endoscopic sphenopalatine artery (SPA) ligation has become a popular treatment option for posterior epistaxis and has been shown to be the most effective and cost-efficient definitive treatment for posterior epistaxis. SPA ligation is usually performed under general anesthesia. The majority of epistaxis patients are elderly, frail and have multiple medical conditions. These patients are therefore not always amenable to general anesthesia. In this article we describe two cases where posterior epistaxis was successfully treated with sphenopalatine artery ligation under local anesthesia and should be considered suitable for patients with severe posterior epistaxis who are not fit for a general anesthetic.