The external carotid artery supplies all structures of the face and neck except the brain and eye. Its eight branches supply the thyroid, tongue, face, pharynx, scalp, and upper jaw. The ECA is ligated during major head and neck oncological surgery and is the target vessel for embolisation of head and neck tumours (meningiomas, paragangliomas, juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas) to reduce intraoperative bleeding.
| Origin | Common carotid bifurcation — the anterior branch (smaller of the two terminal branches) |
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Preoperative ECA embolisation of hypervascular head and neck tumours reduces intraoperative blood loss by 50-70%. The ECA is distinguished from the ICA at operation by its branches (the ICA has no cervical branches) and its more medial and anterior position at the bifurcation.
External carotid artery ligation for uncontrolled head and neck haemorrhage or preoperative embolisation for hypervascular tumours.
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