Efficacy and Safety of Ethylene-Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) Copolymer-Based Non-Adhesive Liquid Embolic Agents (NALEAs) in Transcatheter Arterial Embolization (TAE) of Acute Non-Neurovascular Bleeding: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is part of the daily practice of most interventional radiologists worldwide. The ideal liquid embolic agent is far from being identified. Non-adhesive liquid embolic agents (NALEA) harden from the outside to the inside, resulting in deep penetration, known as “magma-like” progression, which permits a more distal embolization with good control of the embolic material. This multicenter retrospective cohort study aims to assess the efficacy, feasibility and safety of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) with ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH)-based NALEAs (Onyx and Squid) in acute bleeding outside of the neurovascular area. Materials and Methods: This study is a multicenter analysis of retrospectively collected data of consecutive patients who had undergone, from January 2015 to December 2022, transcatheter arterial embolization with non-adhesive EVOH-based agents in the setting of acute non-neurovascular bleeding. Results: Fifty-three patients underwent transcatheter arterial embolization for acute non-neurovascular bleeding. Eight (15.1%) procedures were performed in patients with coagulopathy. The most used concentration of EVOH-based NALEAs was 34 (i.e., 8%), with a mean dose of 0.5 (±0.3) mL. The mean CT-to-groin time, the mean procedure time, the mean CT-to-embolization time and the mean fluoroscopy time were 22.9 (±12.4) min, 27.5 (±7) min, 50.3 (±13.1) min and 7.5 (±2.8) min, respectively. Technical success was achieved in all cases with a 96.2% clinical success rate. Complications were recorded in six (11.3%) patients. No statistically significant differences were observed between the group of patients with coagulopathy and the group of patients without coagulopathy in terms of efficacy and safety endpoints. Conclusions: Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) performed with non-adhesive EVOH-based embolic agents is an effective, feasible and safe strategy for the management of acute non-neurovascular bleeding, even in the subgroup of patients with coagulopathy.