Modification of the Sengstaken–Blakemore Balloon Tube

THE Sengstaken–Blakemore1 balloon tube has been modified by the attachment of a standard plastic nasogastric tube. The tip of the plastic tube is secured at a point just above the proximal end of the esophageal balloon by passage of a piece of No. 0000 blacksilk suture through the wall of the nasogastric tube, and a tie is made around the circumference of the rubber tube (Fig. 1). Four or five similar attachments are made between the tubes proximally at 7.6cm. intervals, as shown in Figure 2. The addition of this plastic tube has not caused any difficulty to date with either . . .