To highlight the importance of imaging in reducing an accidental injury to the anomalous brachiocephalic trunk and its branches during tracheal surgery.

This paper reports two cases of accidental injury to the great vessels in the neck during tracheal surgery. The first incident occurred during a repeat tracheostomy, when the right common carotid artery was injured. On reviewing the computed tomography images, the bifurcation of the brachiocephalic artery was seen to the left of the midline, and the right common carotid artery was adherent just below the tracheostomy site. The second incident happened during surgery for tracheal stenosis, when there was an inadvertent injury to the main brachiocephalic trunk, which was adherent to the trachea in the lower neck region.

For airway surgeons, radiological assessment of vascular structures in relation to the trachea prior to surgery is as important as the endoluminal airway assessment for the best outcome.

Variations of the normal anatomy of the aortic great vessels can lead to severe complications if not recognised pre- or peri-operatively. One such anomaly is a high-riding aberrant innominate artery.

Retrospective review of case series.

We present our experience with seven patients in whom a high aberrant innominate artery was encountered just before or during open tracheotomy. We describe a procedure designed to protect the artery from erosion due to the tracheotomy tube, using an inferiorly based, U-shaped flap from the anterior tracheal wall averted over the innominate artery.

None of the patients had any bleeding from the tracheotomy site, during a follow-up period of nine to 46 months.

The technique described is simple to perform and prevents any damage to a high aberrant innominate artery, as assessed over a long follow-up period.