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Incarcerated Gravid Uterus Liberated by Placement of a Vaginal Balloon
Sarah H Abelman1, Jenani S Jayakumaran, Manisha Sigdel
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saint Peter's University Hospital/Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Background:
Incarceration of the gravid uterus is an infrequent obstetric complication that can cause severe complications.
Case:
A 37-year-old woman, G3P2002, at 14 weeks of gestation presented with vomiting, back pain, and urinary retention. She was noted to be in acute renal failure, with a creatinine level of 9.24 mg/dL, and results of her physical examination were concerning for uterine incarceration. Passive maneuvers and manual pressure failed to resolve the incarceration. Under spinal anesthesia, a Bakri balloon was inflated in the posterior vagina, elevating the fundus and relieving the incarcerated uterus.
Conclusion:
An intravaginal balloon may aid in the alleviation of uterine incarceration.

