Common carotid artery laceration and innominate artery pseudo-aneurysm following a percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy attempt.

Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) has become an appropriate alternative to conventional surgical tracheostomy. It is now performed worldwide by a diverse array of physician specialists. Although adverse events are relatively uncommon, serious complications can arise from this bedside procedure. We report a patient who suffered life-threatening hemorrhage from a common carotid artery laceration and pseudo-aneurysm formation in the innominate artery following an elective PDT procedure.