Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta and the Anesthesiologist: A Case Report and Literature Review.

The most common preventable cause of death after trauma is exsanguination due to uncontrolled hemorrhage. Traditionally, anterolateral emergency department thoracotomy is used for temporary control of noncompressible torso hemorrhage and to increase preload after trauma. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta is a minimally invasive technique that achieves similar goals. It is therefore imperative for the anesthesiologist to understand physiologic implications during resuscitative endovascular aortic occlusion and after balloon deflation. We report a case of a patient with significant pelvic and lower-extremity trauma who required acute resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta deployment, aggressive resuscitation, and extensive intraoperative hemorrhage control.