Balloon tamponade usually refers to the use of

balloon A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), or light so ...

s inserted into the

esophagus The esophagus (American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to the ...

stomach The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach i ...

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...

, and inflated to alleviate or stop

refractory In materials science, a refractory material or refractory is a material that is resistant to decomposition by heat, pressure, or chemical attack, and retains strength and form at high temperatures. Refractories are polycrystalline, polyphase, ...

bleeding.

Esophagus or stomach

When inserted into the esophagus or stomach, balloon catheters are intended to stop bleeding such as from vascular structures—including

esophageal varices Esophageal varices are extremely dilated sub-mucosal veins in the lower third of the esophagus. They are most often a consequence of portal hypertension, commonly due to cirrhosis. People with esophageal varices have a strong tendency to develop ...

and

gastric varices Gastric varices are dilated submucosal veins in the lining of the stomach, which can be a life-threatening cause of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. They are most commonly found in patients with portal hypertension, or elevated pre ...

—in the upper

gastrointestinal tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organ (biology), organs of the digestive syste ...

. There are many different types of balloons manufactured for the purpose of tamponading upper gastrointestinal bleeds, each with different volume capacities and aspiration ports tailored for the specific application. Examples include: * Sengstaken-Blakemore tube, with three lumens (two balloons and a gastric aspiration port). Pressure can be applied to gastric and esophageal varices by balloon inflation and traction. * Linton tube, with a large gastric balloon, and gastric and esophageal aspirates * Minnesota four-lumen tube, with esophageal and gastric balloons, and esophageal and gastric aspirates. Balloon tamponade is considered a bridge to more definitive treatment modalities, and is usually administered in the Emergency Department or in the

intensive-care unit 220px, Intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensiv ...

setting, due to the illness of patients and the complications of the procedure.

Uterus

In the uterus, balloon tamponade can alleviate or stop

postpartum hemorrhage Postpartum bleeding or postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is often defined as the loss of more than 500 ml or 1,000 ml of blood following childbirth. Some have added the requirement that there also be signs or symptoms of low blood volume for ...

. Inflating a

Sengstaken–Blakemore tube A Sengstaken–Blakemore tube is a medical device inserted through the nose or mouth and used occasionally in the management of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to esophageal varices (distended and fragile veins in the esophageal wall, usual ...

in the uterus successfully treats atonic postpartum hemorrhage refractory to medical management in approximately 80% of cases. Such procedure is relatively simple, inexpensive and has low surgical morbidity. A ''

Bakri balloon The Bakri Balloon is a medical device invented and designed by Dr. Younes Bakri in 1999. The obstetrical balloon is a 24 French, 54 cm-long, silicone catheter with a filling capacity of 500 mL. The device is used for the temporary control a ...

'' is a balloon tamponade specifically constructed for uterine postpartum hemorrhage. Bakri Balloon Tamponade (BBT), designed for postpartum hemorrhage, is an effective life-saving balloon. A recent study involving 50 cases was carried out by the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland. With an overall success rate of 86%, the authors concluded that the Bakri Balloon Tamponade (BBT) is “a simple, readily available, effective and safe procedure” in the management of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). The research also indicates that BBT is able to provide practitioners with “time for other interventions or transportation from local hospital to tertiary centre”. The authors of the study recommend BBT be included in the PPH protocol. Tamponade balloon, "Bakri Postpartum Balloon" was reported by several global studies and reviews to be very effective in postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). It is specifically designed for controlling "Obstetric Hemorrhage". Several peer-review medical journals publications support its use. You can use new model of "Bakri Postpartum Balloon with Rapid Instillation Components" allowing easy installation of the catheter. An alternative to the Bakri is the BT-Cath (Balloon-Tamponade Catheter) which has an easy-fill system allowing single person inflation and saving time in the theatre setting. The shape of the BT-Cath is more pear shaped and contours to the uterus more easily than the Bakri. A low cost alternative is a condom balloon tamponade, a form of intrauterine tamponade, created from a catheter, a male latex condom, and a string to tie the condom to the catheter. The method was developed in Bangladesh in 2001 by Dr.

Sayeba Akhter Sayeba Akhter (born 1953) is a Bangladeshi physician who has dedicated her career to eliminating obstetric fistula. She is an executive member of the International Society of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons and has previously served as the president o ...

and has since been supported by health workers worldwide as an effective method to stop post partum hemorrhage, particularly in low resource settings.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balloon Tamponade Digestive system procedures Obstetrics

Esophagus or stomach

Uterus

See also

References