Preventive ligation of the innominate artery in patients with neuromuscular disorders.

Tracheostomy, long-term mechanical ventilation, spinal deformaties are factors that contribute in patients with neuromuscular disorders to the development of an erosion of the tracheal wall and subsequent formation of a tracheo-innominate artery fistula. This condition is fatal unless promptly treated by exclusion of the innominate artery, which is often performed under desperate circumstances. We electively adopted a preventive ligation of the innominate artery in patients at risk for trachea-innominate artery fistula (TIF). We present seven patients with neuromuscular disorders who underwent preventive ligation of the innominate artery. All seven patients survived.