Bakri balloon in the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage

Aim: Bakri Balloon is used in the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) for conservative management of uterine bleeding.The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of using Bakri balloon in the treatment of PPH in a 5-year period in a tertiary hospital. Material and Methods: Patients who underwent Bakri balloon for PPH treatment from October 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively screened. Results: The total number of deliveries were 17117, including 9595 vaginal (56%) and 7522 cesarean sections (44%). The Bakri balloon was applied to a total of 60 patients with a median age of 29 years; 20% of these patients were nullipara, 25% primiparous and 55% multiparous. The delivery method of 83.3% of the patients was cesarean section and vaginal delivery in 16.7% of the patients. A previous cesarean section history was present in 60% of the patients. While 47 patients were above the 34th gestational week, 13 patients were below the 34th gestational week.While 40 newborns were healthy, 2 newborns died and 18 were hospitalized in intensive care units. The cause of uterine hemorrhage was placenta previa in 29 patients and uterine atony in 28 patients. Bakri balloon treatment was sufficient in 91.7% of the patients, and no additional method was required. The Bakri balloon application failed in 5 patients (8.3%) and these patients underwent surgery. Discussion:According to this study, the most common Bakri balloon indications were bleeding due to placenta previa and uterine atony. In these patients, treatment with Bakri Balloon was successful. In the treatment of PPH caused by placenta previa or uterine atony after both vaginal delivery or cesarean delivery, obstetricians can benefit from the cushioning effect of the Bakri balloon on the endometrial space to reduce or stop bleeding.