Emergency peripartum hysterectomy in a tertiary obstetric center: 8-year evaluation

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to present the incidence, indications, and operative morbidity and mortality in pregnant women undergoing emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH) at a tertiary obstetric institution. METHODS: In this retrospective clinical study, performed during the period 1995-2003, 17 EPH procedures were recorded in a total of 21,659 deliveries carried out at Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Osijek Clinical Hospital in Osijek, Croatia. Data on the incidence of EPH in total number of deliveries, rate of EPH in vaginal delivery and cesarean section, indications for EPH, and maternal and fetal/early neonatal morbidity and mortality were derived from operative protocols and medical records of hospitalized patients. RESULTS: During the 8-year study period, the incidence of EPH in total number of deliveries was 0.078%. Out of 17 EPH procedures, 5 (29.41%) were performed after vaginal delivery and 12 (70.59%) during cesarean section, elective in five and urgent in seven cases. The indications for EPH included severe peripartum hemorrhage with placenta previa in four, placenta previa percreta in four, various forms of invasive malplacentation (placenta accreta, increta, percreta) in five, uterine rupture in two cases, and atony along with massive retroperitoneal hematoma due to rupture of periuterine vascular bundle during cesarean section in one multipara. EPH was carried out in 12 multipara and five primipara. Lesions of urinary bladder occurred in three cases and were managed by suture. Twelve patients received blood transfusion, whereas development of hemorrhagic shock necessitated transfer to Intensive Care Unit in three patients. No late complications or maternal mortality were recorded. Sixteen total hysterectomies and one supracervical hysterectomy were performed. One case of intrauterine fetal death was caused by total abruptio placenta and uterine rupture during the patient's transport from a primary obstetric institution. CONCLUSION: Invasive malplacentation is a major isolated risk factor for EPH, as shown in the present study. Other risk factors for EPH are massive hemorrhage because placenta previa, uterine atony and uterine rupture associated with multiparity, and previous cesarean section. A great proportion of EPH procedures can be prevented by the introduction of compressive operative methods such as B-Lynch suture in the obstetric algorithms, which will certainly favorably reflect in future fertility and genital health of the female population.