Placenta accreta: a surgical alternative that can save lives

The placenta accreta is the second leading cause of obstetric hemorrhage, which often require the implementation of emergency obstetric hysterectomy increased morbidity and mortality. We present a surgical alternative to hysterectomy obstetric allowed us to reduce to zero until our rate of maternal deaths from obstetric hemorrhage. Improving surgical times, associated morbidity, without altering perinatal outcomes.     

手术治疗难治性产后出血

难治性产后出血是孕产妇死亡的主要原因,当保守性治疗方法失败时,紧急围产期子宫切除被认为是挽救孕产妇生命的有效方法。掌握围产期子宫切除的手术指征、手术时机及手术方法,可以减少孕产妇的发病率和病死率。     

Mechanisms of hemostasis at cesarean delivery

Postpartum hemorrhage is an obstetric emergency that represents a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. With the recent rise in the cesarean delivery rate, prompt recognition and proper management at the time of cesarean delivery are becoming increasingly important for providers of obstetrics. Preparedness for hemorrhage can be achieved by recognition of prior risk factors and implementation of specific hemorrhage protocols. Medical and surgical therapies are available to treat obstetric hemorrhage after cesarean delivery.     

产后出血子宫切除相关问题

子宫切除是抢救严重产后出血挽救产妇生命而采取的一种重要的治疗方法。异常胎盘及剖宫产是产后出血子宫切除常见的高危因素。前置胎盘和胎盘植入已成为目前严重产后出血子宫切除治疗的首要指征,及时准确地把握手术指征和手术时机,术中认真操作及处理突发情况,可以减少产妇的发病率和死亡率。     

A cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the clinically integrated RHL evidence -based medicine course

Objective

to develop and validate a questionnaire on severe maternal morbidity and to evaluate the maternal recall of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Design: validity of a questionnaire as diagnostic instrument. Setting: a third level referral maternity in Campinas, Brazil. Population: 386 survivors of severe maternal complications and 123 women that delivered without major complications between 2002 and 2007.

Methods

eligible women were traced and interviewed by telephone on the occurrence of obstetric complications and events related to their treatment. Their answers were compared with their medical records as gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios plus their correspondent 95% confidence intervals were used as main estimators of accuracy. Main outcomes: diagnosis of severe maternal morbidity associated with past pregnancies, including hemorrhage, eclampsia, infections, jaundice and related procedures (hysterectomy, admission to ICU, blood transfusion, laparotomy, inter-hospital transfer, mechanical ventilation and post partum stay above seven days).

Results

Women did not recall accurately the occurrence of obstetric complications, especially hemorrhage and infection. The likelihood ratios were < 5 for hemorrhage and infection, while for eclampsia it almost reached 10. The information recalled by women regarding hysterectomy, intensive care unit admission and blood transfusion were found to be highly correlated with finding evidence of the event in the medical records (likelihood ratios ranging from 12.7-240). The higher length of time between delivery and interview was associated with poor recall.

Conclusion

Process indicators are better recalled by women than obstetric complication and should be considered when applying a questionnaire on severe maternal morbidity.     

胎盘植入研究进展

胎盘植入是产科具有潜在生命危险的严重并发症之一,其发生率呈逐年增长趋势。由于胎盘植入可引发产时或产后大出血、凝血功能障碍、产褥感染等并发症,已成为子宫切除的主要原因之一,故其诊断及治疗日益受重视。并且需多学科共同规划管理,以降低其病死率。     

胎盘植入诊治面临的挑战与策略

胎盘植入可导致严重的产时出血,造成母亲产后出血,出血性休克,子宫切除,组织器官缺血再灌注损伤乃至孕产妇死亡,以及胎儿医源性早产发病率和死亡率升高。胎盘植入的处理策略是合理的期待治疗,多学科围分娩期管理,在维护患者生命安全的基础上,个体化治疗,尽量保留子宫,减少严重并发症发生。     

Packing of lower uterine segment for control of postcesarean bleeding in instances of placenta previa

Hemorrhage remains a serious obstetric complication with uterine atony as its most common cause. Postpartum atony is controlled with oxytocics and prostaglandins. Uterine arterial ligation is used to decrease the degree of postpartum hemorrhage. Hypogastric arterial ligation and hysterectomy are used when conservative measures fail. With placenta previa accreta, the aforementioned techniques are often not successful in the control of bleeding in the lower segment. The technique of packing of the lower uterine segment is described for use when local control of bleeding points is unsuccessful and hysterectomy is contemplated. Preservation of reproductive potential may be accomplished with this technique with minimal maternal morbidity.     

Are women who are Jehovah's Witnesses at risk of maternal death?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the rates of obstetric hemorrhage and maternal mortality in women who are Jehovah's Witnesses and to evaluate a protocol that uses erythropoietin to optimize the red blood cell mass before delivery. STUDY DESIGN: Obstetric outcomes were described for all of the women who were Jehovah's Witnesses and who delivered at Mount Sinai Medical Center during an 11-year period. The risk of maternal death was compared with our general obstetric population during this interval. RESULTS: A total of 332 women who were Jehovah's Witnesses had 391 deliveries. An obstetric hemorrhage was experienced in 6% of this population. There were 2 maternal deaths among the women who were Jehovah's Witnesses, for a rate of 512 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births versus 12 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (risk ratio, 44; 95% CI, 9-211). Erythropoietin was associated with a nonsignificant increase in hematocrit level. CONCLUSION: Women who are Jehovah's Witnesses are at a 44-fold increased risk of maternal death, which is due to obstetric hemorrhage. Patients should be counseled about this risk of death, and obstetric hemorrhage should be aggressively treated, including a rapid decision to proceed to hysterectomy when indicated.     

Emergency obstetric hysterectomies for postpartum haemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: To review emergency obstetric hysterectomy in our unit, including the indications for and morbidity associated with the procedure. DESIGN: A retrospective cases analysis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Records of obstetric patients who had undergone emergency hysterectomies in between 15 October 1993 and 31 December 1997 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: There were 15,474 deliveries and 7 emergency obstetric hysterectomies. All cases had total abdominal hysterectomy. The indications for hysterectomy were uterine atony and placental disorders. There were one case of urinary bladder injury and 2 cases of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. There was no maternal mortality. CONCLUSION: Emergency obstetric hysterectomy remains a potentially life-saving procedure in unavoidable catastrophe. The 7 patients with life threatening postpartum haemorrhage underwent hysterectomy after failure of conservative measures. The morbidity is low and there was no mortality in this series.     

Postpartum hemorrhage

Postpartum hemorrhage, frequently due to uterine atony, is an important cause of maternal death and morbidity. The knowledge of causes, of antenatal and intrapartum risk factors and of physiopathological changes in hemodynamics and coagulation during pregnancy are essential for the management of the condition. At the present time, many efforts are made to organize a multidisciplinary approach to this complication of delivery involving clinical and laboratory staffs, since the rapid correction of hypovolemia, the diagnosis and treatment of defective coagulation, the surgical and pharmacological control of bleeding are mandatory. Several medical options have been developed and the surgical management includes traditional and newer conservative procedures with variable success rates. The developments in the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage may reduce hysterectomy that is to be considered the last resort to resolve the hemorrhage in some cases. In the modern management of postpartum hemorrhage protocols and guidelines should be available in every delivery room.     

Prophylactic and emergent arterial catheterization for selective embolization in obstetric hemorrhage.

Treatment of obstetric hemorrhage by the selective embolization of damaged pelvic vessels under fluoroscopy holds promise as an alternative to surgical intervention. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of selective embolization is often compromised by its use in emergent settings following the failure of primary operative approaches. Therefore we compared the efficacy of prophylactic versus emergent catheter placement for selective embolization in nine patients with or at risk for obstetric hemorrhage. In four patients with acute obstetric hemorrhage catheterization and embolization was carried out following the failure of initial medical and surgical approaches. In five patients determined to be at risk for intrapartum hemorrhage based on sonographic findings, catheters were inserted into the hypogastric vessels prior to elective cesarean delivery. Three of these five patients subsequently required selective embolization. In comparison to patients undergoing selective embolization following prophylactic catheter placement, patients in the emergent group all had a coagulopathy at the time of embolization, sustained substantially greater blood loss, and had an increased rate of postpartum complications. Finally, there was a significant reduction in total embolization time and therefore in radiation exposure in patients undergoing prophylactic catheter placement prior to selective embolization. These data support the conclusion that in patients determined to be at risk for intrapartum or postpartum hemorrhage the prophylactic placement of catheters allows for selective embolization in a hemodynamically intact patient with stable coagulation indices, theoretically reducing the risk of maternal morbidity and possibly mortality.     

A new uterine suture technique for postpartum hemorrhage

At present, postpartum hemorrhage is still an important cause of maternal mortality and morbidity. When medical therapy has no success, conservative surgical procedures are applied before making a hysterectomy. Three transverse sutures are applied to the entire uterine wall both to the right and the left side of the uterus. Our technique has been applied to 4 women with postpartum hemorrhage secondary to uterine atony. Bleeding was stopped immediately by compressive sutures. The four patients had normal menstruation cycles after delivery and had new pregnancies. No woman had postoperative complications. Uterus compressive suture is an effective alternative to hysterectomy to treat postpartum hemorrhage secondary to atony. This is a simple and quick procedure that preserves fertility.     

Hypogastric artery ligation for obstetric hemorrhage

Ligation of the hypogastric arteries has been recommended for control of obstetric hemorrhage. However, specific information regarding its effectiveness is lacking. The hospital charts of 19 patients undergoing bilateral hypogastric artery ligation for the control of otherwise intractable obstetric hemorrhage were reviewed. Indications included uterine atony (15), lateral extension of a low-transverse uterine incision (three), and placenta accreta (one). This procedure was effective in controlling bleeding in eight of 19 patients (42%). Hysterectomy was necessary in the remaining 11 patients. In these patients, blood loss, operating time, and intraoperative morbidity was increased when compared with a group of 59 patients undergoing emergency hysterectomy for obstetric hemorrhage without prior ligation of the hypogastric arteries. Surgical approaches to hypogastric artery ligation are discussed.     

Plazentaretention – Management mit Fokus auf die Fertilität

Placentation disorders, such as placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) are one of the critical obstetric challenges, which are still related to high rates of maternal morbidity and also mortality. The incidence has dramatically increased during the last years, mainly caused by the worldwide increasing percentage of births by cesarean section. In addition to the classical surgical approach of hysterectomy during a cesarean section, conservative strategies are becoming of increasing interest because they can reduce the morbidity and also include the option of fertility preservation.     

An overview of obstetric hemorrhage

Obstetric hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the world. Disparities in the prevalence of obstetric hemorrhage and its related mortality both on a global scale and locally in the United States indicate that a significant proportion is preventable. In many parts of the world, including the United States, there has also been an unexplainable increase in rates of postpartum hemorrhage. Efforts should focus on implementing comprehensive hemorrhage toolkit/bundles, which research has shown may have the potential to reduce severe maternal morbidity from hemorrhage.     

Management of obstetric hemorrhage

A reluctance to proceed with hysterectomy for obstetric hemorrhage may be a more likely cause of preventable death in obstetrics than a lack of surgical or medical skills. Every obstetric unit should have protocols available to deal with hemorrhage and, in addition, have specific guidelines for patients who object to blood transfusions for various reasons. Risk factors for hemorrhage should be identified antenatally, using all possible imaging modalities available, and utilizing multidisciplinary resources whenever possible. Novel strategies for prenatal diagnosis of abnormal placentation include advanced sonography and magnetic resonance imaging. Placement and utilization of arterial catheters for uterine artery embolization is becoming more widespread and new surgical technology such as the argon beam coagulator seems promising. When intra or postpartum hemorrhage is encountered, a familiar protocol for dealing with blood loss should be triggered. Timely hysterectomy should be performed for signs of refractory bleeding. Application of medical and surgical principles combined with recent technologic advances will help the obstetrician avoid disastrous outcomes for both mother and fetus.     

Peripartum hysterectomy: 1999 to 2006

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the rate of peripartum hysterectomy over the last 8 years in Calgary, the primary indication for peripartum hysterectomy (defined as any hysterectomy performed within 24 hours of a delivery), and whether there was an increase in the rate of peripartum hysterectomy during that time. METHOD: Detailed chart review of all cases of peripartum hysterectomy, 1999-2006, including previous obstetric history, details of the index pregnancy, indications for peripartum hysterectomy, outcome of the hysterectomy, and infant morbidity. RESULTS: The overall rate of peripartum hysterectomy was 87 of 108,154 or 0.8 per 1,000 deliveries. The primary indications for hysterectomy were uterine atony (32 of 87, 37%) and suspected placenta accreta (29 of 87, 33%). After hysterectomy, 46 (53%) women were admitted to the intensive care unit. Women were discharged home after a mean 6-day length of stay. The rate of peripartum hysterectomy did not appear to increase over time. CONCLUSION: Our population-based study found that abnormal placentation is the main indication for peripartum hysterectomy. The most important step in prevention of major postpartum hemorrhage is recognizing and assessing women's risk, although even perfect management of hemorrhage cannot always prevent surgery.     

Successful treatment of life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage with recombinant activated factor VII

BACKGROUND: Postpartum hemorrhage is one of the most common causes of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. The aims of treatment are to maintain the circulation and to stop the bleeding. The latter is achieved by either medical or surgical management. In intractable bleeding, emergency hysterectomy is usually required. CASE: A 30-year-old nullipara presented with major postpartum hemorrhage due to uterine atony and vaginal lacerations. The patient developed hemorrhagic shock, resulting in prolonged prothrombin time, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time, and low levels of factor VIII and fibrinogen. Treatments with uterotonic drugs, suturing, ligation of internal iliac arteries, subtotal hysterectomy, packing of the pelvis, and blood transfusion failed to control diffuse pelvic and vaginal bleeding. Recombinant activated factor VIIa (60-microg/kg intravenous bolus injection) was given as a final attempt to control the bleeding. The bleeding was successfully controlled within 10 minutes after administration. No side effects were noted. CONCLUSION: Recombinant factor VIIa may be an alternative hemostatic agent in a patient with life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage unresponsive to conventional therapy.     

Conservative and surgical treatment of abnormal placentation: report of five cases and review of the literature

Abnormal placentation is a serious complication of pregnancy. The disorder is also associated with significant maternal morbidity. Abnormal placentation, comprised of placenta accreta, increta, and percreta, is a leading cause of postpartum hemorrhage and indication for gravid hysterectomy. We present five cases of successful conservative and surgical management of abnormal placentation managed at our institution, together with a review of the literature.