Clip assisted use of gelatin-thrombin matrix sealant as a rescue procedure to treat a hidden arterial tear.

Major intracranial arteries can be injured during tumor removal. Surgeons routinely manage this event by using either microvascular direct repair, by-pass of the wounded segment or the placement of a sutureless device. These procedures, however, are not always possible due to artery brittleness, deep operating field, vascular configuration, or restricted viewing field. In this particular case, we illustrate an example of innovative use of gelatin-thrombin matrix sealant used to repair a hidden tear of pericallosal-callosomarginal bifurcation. A 49-year-old man underwent resection of a recurrent left frontal glioma. During an attempt to remove a firmly attached portion of the tumor, a tear occured in the pericallosal-callosomarginal bifurcation. The wall defect was repaired with a temporary vascular clip placed on the pericallosal artery and gelatin-thrombin matrix sealant sprayed over the tear. An intraoperative indocyanine videoangiography showed patency of both the pericallosal and callosomarginal arteries. Gelatin-thrombin matrix sealant is useful to control bleeding from an artery when the viewing field is restricted. In some cases, however, blood outflow must first be reduced in order to allow clot formation.