Proximal flow control with a balloon during the treatment of left subclavian artery aneurysmsreply

[1] The authors presented treatment of a giant, most probably, mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the intrathoracic left subclavian artery through thoracotomy with an autologous pericardial patch. A balloon catheter placed prior to the surgery at the orifice of the left subclavian artery ready to be inflated in case of a rupture can be lifesaving. Once again, we congratulate the authors for their successful treatment of a challenging left subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm; however, we believe that the operation could have been performed safer if a balloon catheter had been placed to the left subclavian artery orifice prior to the surgery.