Life-threatening, delayed epistaxis after Le Fort I osteotomy: a case report

Abstract

Introduction: When performing a Le Fort 1 osteotomy, there is always a risk of injuring the internal maxillary artery or one of its branches. This diagnosis should be considered when confronted to recurrent or massive epistaxis following surgery.Case presentation: The authors present a case of a life-threatening, delayed and massive epistaxis caused by a ruptured pseudoaneuvrysm of the right sphenopalatine artery as a post-operative complication of a Le Fort I osteotomy successfully managed by anterior and posterior nasal packing.Conclusion: Despite its simplicity and attested reliability, Le Fort I osteotomy is not completely free of complications.