Placenta percreta managed by transverse uterine fundal incision with retrograde cesarean hysterectomy: a novel surgical approach

Comparative study of the prevalence of organ injury in placenta accreta spectrum disorder between posterior colpotomy and conventional peripartum hysterectomies at a single referral center in southern Thailand

OBJECTIVE

To compare the prevalence of adjacent organ injury in placenta accreta spectrum disorder (PAS) between the posterior colpotomy approach and conventional peripartum hysterectomy.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed the data of pregnant women diagnosed with PAS who underwent peripartum hysterectomy at Songklanagarind Hospital between January 2006 and December 2021. The patients were divided into two groups: posterior colpotomy and conventional approaches. The characteristics and surgical and obstetric outcomes were compared. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors and risk of organ injury.

RESULTS

Among 174 patients, 64 underwent conventional peripartum hysterectomy, and 110 underwent the posterior colpotomy approach. The overall incidence of adjacent organ injury was 17.82%. Organ injury prevalence was lower in the posterior colpotomy group (10%) than in the conventional group (31.25%), with no difference in operative time. Multivariate analysis showed that posterior colpotomy reduced adjacent organ injury (odds ratio [OR] 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06-0.54, P = 0.002). Placenta percreta was associated with increased injury risk (OR 6.83, 95% CI 2.53-18.44, P < 0.002). Subgroup analysis showed that the posterior approach reduced bladder injury in placenta increta (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.04-0.57, P = 0.003) and percreta (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.05-0.77, P = 0.017).

CONCLUSION

Compared with conventional peripartum hysterectomy, the posterior colpotomy approach in patients with PAS reduced the risk of adjacent organ injury, particularly for placenta increta and percreta. This technique should be considered in PAS cases, but further investigations with a prospective study design are needed.

Placenta accreta spectrum with severe morbidity: fibrosis associated with cervical-trigonal invasion

OBJECTIVE

Describe the clinical-surgical results of patients with PAS in the low-posterior cervical-trigonal space associated with fibrosis (PAS type 4) compared with PAS types in other locations (Types 1, upper bladder, 2 in upper parametrium) and in particular with PAS type 3, corresponding to dissectible cervical-trigonal invasion. The clinical-surgical results of using a standard hysterectomy were analyzed with a modified subtotal hysterectomy (MSTH) in patients with PAS type 4.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A descriptive, retrospective, multicenter study included 337 patients of PAS; thirty-two corresponding to PAS type 4, from three PAS reference hospitals, CEMIC, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fundación Valle de Lili, Cali, Colombia, and Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, between January 2015 and December 2020. PAS was diagnosed by abdominal and transvaginal ultrasound and topographically characterized by ultrafast T2 weighted MRI. In persistent macroscopic hematuria after MSTH, the surgeon performs an intentional cystotomy and uses a square compression suture to achieve the hemostasis inside the bladder wall.According to a PAS topographical classification, the patients with low-vesical cervical involvement compared with PAS located in relation with the upper blader (type1), upper parametrium (type 2 upper), and also with PAS situated in the lower vesical-trigon space (type 3). PAS 3 and 4 are located in identical area, but in type 3, group A, the vesicouterine space was dissectible, and in type 4, group B, significant fibrosis made surgical dissection extremely challenging. Furthermore, group B was divided into patients treated with total hysterectomy (HT) and those treated with a modified subtotal hysterectomy (MSTH). The surgical requirements to perform an MSHT included the availability of proximal vascular control at the aortic level (internal manual aortic compression, aortic endovascular balloon, aortic loop, or aortic cross-clamping). Then surgeon performed an upper segmental hysterotomy, avoiding the abnormal placenta invasion area; after that, the fetus was delivered, and the umbilical cord was ligated.After uterine exteriorization, the surgeon applies a continuous circular suture with number 2 polyglactin 910, taking some portions of the myometrium -to avoid unintentional slipping- around the lower uterine segment and a 3-4 cm proximal to the abnormal adhesion of the placenta. After tightening hard the circular suture, the uterine segment was circumferentially cut, three centimeters proximal to the circular hemostatic sutures. Next, the surgery follows the upper steps of conventional hysterectomy without changes. Additionally, the histological presence of fibrosis was examined in all samples.

RESULTS

Modified subtotal hysterectomy in patients with PAS type 4 (cervical-trigonal fibrosis) resulted in a significant clínico-surgical improvement over total hysterectomy. The median operative time and intraoperative bleeding were 140 min (IQR 90--240) and 1895 mL (IQR 1300-2500) in patients undergoing modified subtotal hysterectomy, and 260 min (IQR 210-287) and 2900 mL (IQR 2150-5500) in patients treated with total hysterectomy, respectively. The complication rate was 20% for MSHT and 82.3% for patients with a total hysterectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

PAS in the cervical trigonal area associated with fibrosis implies a greater risk of complications due to uncontrollable bleeding and organ damage. MSTH is associated with lower morbidity and difficulties in PAS type 4. Prenatal or intrasurgical diagnosis is essential to plan surgical alternatives to improve the results.

Placenta Percreta Managed by Ultrasound-Guided Vertical Transfundal Uterine Incision with Hysterectomy: Case Report

Placenta accreta spectrum is an obstetrics complication in which the placenta has abnormally adhered to the decidua and uterine wall. Placenta percreta is the rarest and sternest variant of accreta syndrome. In this study, we present a case of placenta percreta where we have done ultrasound-guided trans fundal vertical uterine incision to deliver a healthy fetus and subsequent cesarean hysterectomy. Antepartum diagnosis, involvement of a multidisciplinary team, appropriate counseling of women and their families, ultrasound guidance for placental margin demarcation, and vertical transfundal uterine incision can be considered for patients with placenta percreta.

Searching for placenta percreta: a prospective cohort and systematic review of case reports

BACKGROUND

Placenta percreta is described as the most severe grade of placenta accreta spectrum and accounts for a quarter of all cases of placenta accreta spectrum reported in the literature.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the hypothesis that placenta percreta, which has been described clinically as placental tissue invading through the full thickness of the uterus, is a heterogeneous category with most cases owing to primary or secondary uterine abnormality rather than an abnormally invasive form of placentation.

STUDY DESIGN

We have evaluated the agreement between the intraoperative findings using the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics classification with the postoperative histopathology diagnosis in a prospective cohort of 101 consecutive singleton pregnancies presenting with a low-lying placenta or placenta previa, a history of at least 1 prior cesarean delivery and ultrasound signs suggestive of placenta accreta spectrum. Furthermore, a systematic literature review of case reports of placenta percreta, which included histopathologic findings and gross images, was performed.

RESULTS

Samples for histologic examination were available in 80 of 101 cases of the cohort, which were managed by hysterectomy or partial myometrial resection. Microscopic examination showed evidence of placenta accreta spectrum in 65 cases (creta, 9; increta, 56). Of 101 cases included in the cohort, 44 (43.5%) and 54 (53.5%) were graded as percreta by observer A and observer B, respectively. There was a moderate agreement between observers. Of note, 11 of 36 cases that showed no evidence of abnormal placental attachment at delivery and/or microscopic examination were classified as percreta by both observers. The systematic literature review identified 41 case reports of placenta percreta with microscopic images and presenting symptomatology, suggesting that most cases were the consequence of a uterine rupture. The microscopic descriptions were heterogeneous, and all descriptions demonstrated histology of placenta creta rather than percreta.

CONCLUSION

Our study supported the concept that placenta accreta is not an invasive disorder of placentation but the consequence of postoperative surgical remodeling or a preexisting uterine pathology and found no histologic evidence supporting the existence of a condition where the villous tissue penetrates the entire uterine wall, including the serosa and beyond.

Maternal and Fetal Outcomes after Prior Mid-Trimester Uterine Rupture: A Systematic Review with Our Experience

Background and Objectives: Since spontaneous uterine rupture in the mid-trimester is rare, maternal and fetal outcomes in subsequent pregnancies remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the maternal and fetal outcomes of subsequent pregnancies after prior mid-trimester uterine rupture. Materials and Methods: A systematic review using PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus until 30 September 2021, was conducted in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The studies that clarified the maternal and fetal outcomes after prior mid-trimester uterine rupture and our case (n = 1) were included in the analysis. Results: Among the eligible cases, there were five women with eight subsequent pregnancies after prior mid-trimester uterine rupture. The timing of prior mid-trimester uterine rupture ranged from 15 to 26 weeks of gestation. The gestational age at delivery in subsequent pregnancies was 23–38 gestational weeks. Among the included cases (n = 8), those involving prior mid-trimester uterine rupture appeared to be associated with an increased prevalence of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) (n = 3, 37.5%) compared with those involving term uterine rupture published in the literature; moreover, one case exhibited recurrent uterine rupture at 23 weeks of gestation (12.5%). No maternal deaths have been reported in subsequent pregnancies following prior mid-trimester uterine rupture. Fetal outcomes were feasible, except for one pregnancy with recurrent mid-trimester uterine rupture at 23 weeks of gestation, whose fetus was alive complicated by cerebral palsy. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that clinicians should be aware of the possibility of PAS and possible uterine rupture in pregnancies after prior mid-trimester uterine rupture. Further case studies are warranted to assess maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnancies following prior mid-trimester prior uterine rupture.

Systematic review on near miss cases of placenta accreta spectrum disorders: correlation with invasion topography, prenatal imaging, and surgical outcome

Purpose of the article: Placental accreta spectrum (PAS) is the most dangerous iatrogenic complication of cesarean potentially leading to massive intra-partum haemorrhage and death. Despite this, identification of near miss cases of PAS has not been consistently reported in the published literature. The aim of this systematic review was to explore prenatal and surgical characteristics of near miss cases of PAS disorders.Materials and methods: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, SciELO, and Cochrane databases were searched. Only studies including near miss cases of PAS disorders in which a detailed description of the clinical course, severity of placental invasion, role of prenatal imaging, and surgical management were considered eligible for the inclusion in the present systematic review. Random-effect meta-analyses of proportions were used to pool the data.Results: Thirty-four studies were included in the systematic review. The incidence of placenta accreta, increta, and percreta in near miss cases of PAS disorders was 0% (95% CI 0-24.6), 17.3% (95% CI 8.4-28.6) and 82.7% (95% CI 71.4-91.6). S1 invasion, defined as invasion in the upper posterior bladder wall was present in none of the near miss cases of PAS while all included cases showed S2 invasion. Prenatal imaging, either ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging, detected invasive placenta in 54.4% (95% CI 41.0-67.5). Clinical symptoms occurred in 65.3% (95% CI 52.1-77.4) of near miss cases of PAS before surgery, while the corresponding figures for symptoms occurring during and after surgery were 65.5% (95% CI 52.2-77.5) and 50.0% (95% CI 36.5-63.5) of cases, respectively. Invasion in the inferior part of the lower uterine segment, posterior bladder and parametria was associated with a high risk of morbidity.Conclusion: Near miss cases of PAS are commonly associated with posterior bladder or parametrial invasion and placenta percreta. Further studies are needed in order to identify women affected by PAS disorders at high risk of surgical complications.

A Case of Placenta Percreta Managed with Sequential Embolisation Procedures

Background

The incidence of morbidly adherent placenta, including placenta percreta, has increased significantly over recent years due to rising caesarean section rates. Historically, abnormally invasive placenta has been managed with caesarean hysterectomy; however nonsurgical interventions such as uterine artery embolisation (UAE) are emerging as safe alternative management techniques. UAE can be utilised to decrease placental perfusion and encourage placental resorption, thereby reducing the risk of haemorrhage and other morbidities.

Case

We describe one of the very few reported cases of placenta percreta which was successfully treated primarily with sequential artery embolisation. Our patient underwent four embolisation procedures over a period of 248 days, with no major morbidity or complications.

Conclusion

Repeat UAE may be a beneficial primary management modality in cases of placenta percreta with bladder involvement.

Conservative management of placenta percreta

BACKGROUND

Maternal outcomes after conservative management of placenta percreta are poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the success and complication rates of conservative management of placenta percreta.

SEARCH STRATEGY

The PubMed, MEDLINE, and Scopus databases were searched for English-language articles published between January 1990 and December 2016, using combinations of search terms related to conservative management of placenta percreta.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Only studies describing conservative treatment for placenta percreta (without placental removal) were included in the systematic review.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

There were 44 studies included and maternal outcomes were reviewed and categorized among 72 patients.

MAIN RESULTS

The uterus was preserved among 42 (58%) patients and severe complications developed among 40 (56%). Prophylactic uterine artery embolization (UAE) did not improve success rates (P=0.807); however, the mean time for complete placental resorption was lower in the UAE group than in the non-UAE group (22.4 weeks vs 35.3 weeks; P=0.014). Hysterectomy was performed at a mean of 44.6 days after cesarean delivery. Among the 23 patients with hysterectomy-related complications, 18 (78%) experienced bladder injury, intraoperative bleeding (>2000 mL), or both. The use of chemotherapy did not improve success rates (P=0.064).

CONCLUSIONS

The present systematic review revealed high maternal morbidity during conservative management of placenta percreta.

Successful anticoagulant therapy for disseminated intravascular coagulation during conservative management of placenta percreta: a case report and literature review

Background

Placenta percreta is a rare obstetric condition associated with the risk of massive intraoperative hemorrhage. Recently, conservative management of placenta percreta has been performed to reduce maternal morbidity. However, various complications have been reported during such management. Only a few cases of asymptomatic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or fever without infection have been reported. Here, we discuss such a case and review the related literature to understand this rare condition better. For this, we performed an electronic literature review.

Case presentation

We present the clinical course, results of blood tests, and serial magnetic resonance images of a 35-year-old female (gravida 5, para 2) with placenta percreta complicated by placenta previa that was managed conservatively. The patient successfully delivered a healthy baby by a cesarean delivery via a transverse uterine fundal incision at 36 weeks of gestation. We did not observe intraoperative complications during cesarean delivery, and the postoperative course remained uncomplicated until 47 days after the delivery. However, asymptomatic DIC developed after 47 days, and her serum fibrinogen level declined to 42 mg/dL, which was successfully treated with anticoagulant therapy by a therapeutic dose of intravenous heparin for 22 days (postoperative days 48–69). Although DIC resolved, subsequent fever persisted for approximately 1 month (postoperative days 67–103). Infection was ruled out, and conservative management was successfully continued.

Literature review revealed that successful conservative management of a patient with asymptomatic DIC and subsequent fever without infection is extremely rare.

Conclusions

Some patients with DIC and fever can continue conservative management of placenta percreta, although careful examination and monitoring are needed.