Massive hemorrhage in gynecologic cancer surgery: the use of hemostatic pack - Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia

Purpose: to introduce the use of the hemostatic pack, a tampon consisting of compresses tied to the bleeding surface and left in place for 48 to 72 h and which is one of the therapeutic alternatives to be used in this situation. Patients and Methods: we evaluated 3 cases of massive bleeding during surgery, with the exchange, on average, of 1.4 blood volumes (1.2-2.4), in terms of hemostatic effectiveness of the pack and of some patient parameters such as age and amount and type of volume infused. Results: the mean age of the patients was 57 years (51, 56 and 64). Only one had been previously irradiated. The bleeding was of venous origin, from the fossa of the obturator nerve, the iliac plexus and the presacral plexus. The volume expander most often used was 0.9% physiological saline solution, followed by blood derivatives and by Ringer lactate. Two patients were submitted to ligation of the hypogastric vein during surgery, with no improvement. The use of hemostatic synthetic material was inefficient in all three cases. In one of the patients, the use of nonabsorbable sutures to close the bleeding area led to a considerable reduction of bleeding, but did not eliminate it completely. One patient died before 24 h had elapsed, with signs and symptoms of heart failure. The other two patients developed acute renal failure and one of them developed aspirative pneumonia during surgical reexploration. Conclusion: massive bleeding is related to high morbidity and mortality. Among the emergency measures used for hemostasis, the pack seems to be the most adequate.