Balloon tamponade

Balloon tamponade
Intervention
Scheme of using the Blakemore tube. There are sphygmomanometer drains connected with esophageal port, to enable inflating the balloon with correct pressure.
ICD-9-CM	96.06

Balloon tamponade usually refers to the use of balloons inserted into the esophagus, stomach or uterus, and inflated to alleviate or stop refractory bleeding.

Esophagus or stomach

When inserted into the esophagus or stomach, balloon catheters are intended to stop bleeding such as from from vascular structures—including esophageal varices and gastric varices -- in the upper gastrointestinal tract].

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 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. Inflating a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube in the uterus successfully treats atonic postpartum hemorrhage refractory to medical management in approximately 80% of cases.^[1] Such procedure is relatively simple, inexpensive and has low surgical morbidity.^[1] A Bakri balloon^[2] is a balloon tamponade specifically constructed for uterine postpartum hemorrhage.

References