Letter to the Editor on the article “Clinical evaluation of balloon occlusion of the lower abdominal aorta in patients with placenta previa and previous cesarean section: A retrospective study on 43 cases.”: The drier the surgical field, the better?

Highlights • Aortic balloon occlusion can reduce blood loss during the surgery of abnormally invasive placenta. • Aortic balloon occlusion is classified into: emergent (intra-operative) and preset (pre-operative, prophylactic), with the latter further classified into: i) occlusion to all patients suspicious of abnormally invasive placenta and ii) occlusion based on the intra-operative findings. • Discussion should be made regarding which type of prophylactic balloon occlusion is better. • Aortic balloon occlusion can be associated with serious adverse events, and, thus, patient selection is mandatory.