EMBOLISATION FOR HEMOPTYSIS (BLOOD IN COUGH)

WHAT IS HEMOPTYSIS EMBOLISATION?

Hemoptysis is the medical term for coughing up blood or bloody mucus from your lungs or airway. Massive hemoptysis is defined as more than 300 ml of blood coughed up within a period of 24 hours or less. The causes of haemoptysis include blunt trauma, infections, tumours and defects in your lung. Most common cause in India is Tuberculosis. Haemoptysis embolisation is a minimally invasive procedure which deliberately blocks the bleeding vessel, such as the bronchial arteries or pulmonary arteries.

So, any patient with blood loss of more than 300 ml in 24 hours or has small volume haemoptysis for prolonged period and has any abnormality on chest Xray or CT scan responsible for hemoptysis will warrant bronchial artery embolisation.

HOW DOES THE PROCEDURE WORK?

The aim of the procedure is to stop the blood flowing into the arteries which are responsible for haemoptysis while preserving blood flow to the normal surrounding area. The interventional radiologist will insert a less than 2 mm tube into your groin and will guide it under imaging to the affected blood vessel. Small resin particles (microparticles) will be inserted into the bleeding abnormal vessel or vessels in case of bronchial arteries. This causes the vessel or vessels to become blocked and so stops the bleeding. In case of pulmonary artery pathology coils, vascular plugs or liquid embolic agent may be used.

WHY PERFORM IT?

There are two main reasons why it is important to treat haemoptysis. If too much blood is lost, the patient may go into shock, which is life-threatening. There is also the risk of the patient inhaling and aspirating the blood.