Perioperative anaesthetic management of high-order repeat caesarean section: audit of practice in a university-affiliated medical centre

Peripartum Ηysterectomy: A Four-Year Obstetric and Anesthetic Experience in a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Greece

Background

Although peripartum hysterectomy (PH) is a life-saving procedure in cases of abnormal placentation and postpartum hemorrhage, it can be associated with major obstetric and anesthetic complications. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the incidence, etiology, perioperative anesthetic and obstetric management, complications, and fetal outcomes in women undergoing PH in a single tertiary referral hospital in Greece.

Methodology

This was a retrospective analysis of medical records of women who underwent emergency or elective PH in our hospital between January 2015 and December 2018.

Results

During the study period, 69 women who underwent a PH were identified. The incidence rate of elective and emergency PH was 4 and 1.2 per 1,000 deliveries, respectively. The main indication for PH was abnormal placentation (81.2%), followed by uterine atony (13%). Conversion to general anesthesia (GA) was performed in 21 (30.4%) cases.

Conclusions

This study showed a high prevalence of PH in our hospital compared to high-income countries. A neuraxial-only technique may be a safe alternative in individual cases of abnormal placentation. Conversion to GA can be reserved for complex surgical cases when massive hemorrhage is anticipated and, if possible, after the neonate has been delivered.

Anesthetic considerations for repeat cesarean section

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The prevalence of cesarean delivery is increasing worldwide despite the advance of Trial of Labor After Cesarean section. In many countries, a history of previous cesarean section is an almost absolute indication for a repeat cesarean section. The purpose of this review was to examine if the perioperative anesthetic management of patients with repeat cesarean section is different from the anesthetic management of patients with primary cesarean section.

RECENT FINDINGS

This review discusses important topics, such as early diagnosis of cases with a potentially high risk for complications; the need for assessment of patients diagnosed with abnormal placentation; the importance of a multidisciplinary approach that includes interaction of the anesthesiologist, gynaecologist, and invasive radiologist; emphasizing the need for reinforcement of new methods of invasive procedures; management of massive bleeding, use of new technologies, and development of an institutional protocol for management of patients with abnormal placentation.

SUMMARY

According to this review, we show that the management of patients with repeat cesarean section without abnormal placentation is almost the same as the management of patients for primary cesarean section. Timely diagnosis of patient with abnormal placentation and multidisciplinary approach is crucial for prevention of morbidity or even mortality.

Neuraxial Anesthesia During Cesarean Delivery for Placenta Previa With Suspected Morbidly Adherent Placenta: A Retrospective Analysis

BACKGROUND

General anesthesia (GA) is often selected for cesarean deliveries (CD) with placenta previa and suspected morbidly adherent placenta (MAP) due to increased risk of hemorrhage and hysterectomy. We reviewed maternal outcomes and risk factors for conversion to GA in a cohort of patients undergoing CD and hysterectomy under neuraxial anesthesia (NA).

METHODS

We performed a single-center, retrospective cohort study of parturients undergoing nonemergent CD for placenta previa with suspected MAP from 1997 to 2015. Patients were classified according to whether they received GA, NA, or intraoperative conversion from NA to GA. The primary outcome measure was postoperative acuity, defined as the need for intensive care unit admission, arterial embolization, reoperation, or ongoing transfusion with ≥3 units packed red blood cells. We additionally identified variables positively associated with intraoperative conversion from NA to GA during hysterectomy. Confounding was controlled with logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Of 129 patients undergoing nonemergent CD for placenta previa with suspected MAP, 122 (95%) received NA as the primary anesthetic. NA was selected in the majority of patients with a body mass index ≥40 kg/m (9 of 10, 90%), a history of ≥3 prior CDs (18 of 20, 90%), suspected placenta increta or percreta (29 of 35, 83%), and Mallampati classification ≥3 (19 of 21, 90%). Of 72 patients with NA at the time of delivery who required hysterectomy, 15 (21%) required conversion to GA intraoperatively. Converted patients had a higher rate of major packed red blood cell transfusion (60% vs 25%; P = .01), with similar rates of massive transfusion (9% vs 7%; P = 1.0). Converted patients also had a higher incidence of postoperative acuity (47% vs 4%; P < .0001), including 5 intensive care unit admissions for airway management after large-volume resuscitation. After adjusting for multiple confounders, the only independent predictors of conversion among hysterectomy patients were longer surgical duration (adjusted odds ratio 1.54, 95% CI, 1.01-2.42) and a history of ≥3 prior CDs (adjusted odds ratio, 6.45; 95% CI, 1.12-45.03).

CONCLUSIONS

NA was applied to and successfully used in the majority of patients with suspected MAP. Our findings support selective conversion to GA during hysterectomy in these patients, focusing on those with the highest levels of surgical complexity.

Pre-delivery remifentanil infusion for placenta accreta cesarean delivery under general anesthesia: an observational study

OBJECTIVE

General anesthesia may be required for placenta accreta cesarean delivery. Intrauterine fetal anesthetic exposure should be minimized to avoid neonatal respiratory depression; opioids are often delayed until post-delivery.

METHODS

In this observational study, we compared neonatal outcome using pre-delivery remifentanil versus post-delivery (deferred) opioids for placenta accreta cesarean delivery. Choice of anesthesia was discretionary. The primary outcome was Apgar score at 5 min comparing women who received pre-delivery remifentanil versus deferred opioid administration. We recorded maternal/obstetric characteristics, surgical characteristics, maternal hemodynamic data, neonatal outcomes: Apgar scores, umbilical vein pH and respiratory interventions at birth.

RESULTS

Between February 2007 and April 2014 we identified 40 general anesthesia placenta accreta cesarean deliveries. The remifentanil dose rate ranged from 0.06 to 0.46 mcg kg(-1 )min(-1). Obstetric and maternal characteristics were similar. Neonatal Apgar, umbilical pH and respiratory intervention outcomes were similar in both groups; Apgar scores median (interquartile range IQR [range]) at 5 min were 9 (8-10) for pre-delivery remifentanil versus 9 (9-10) for deferred opioid administration, p = 0.18.

CONCLUSIONS

We did not observe a significant effect on neonatal Apgar scores at 1 and 5 min, or respiratory interventions at birth when remifentanil infusion was administered pre-delivery.

Peripartum anesthetic management of renal transplant patients--a multicenter cohort study

As the number and success of renal transplantation has grown, there has been an increase in the number of renal transplant patients giving birth. To date, there has been no data on obstetric anesthesia management of these patients. The purpose of this study was to build an Israeli national database on parturients after renal transplant. A sixteen-year (calendar years 1996-2011) retrospective study was conducted at three major tertiary centers with a combined current birth rate of approximately 25,000 deliveries annually. We found 83 labors in 64 women. Forty-two percent of this population suffered from hypertension while 12.5% had diabetes. Forty-seven percent of women had a vaginal delivery while 53% of women had a cesarean section. The rate of epidural analgesia for labor was 59%, and rate of regional anesthesia during cesarean section was 75%. There were no anesthetic complications in any cases. Standard ASA monitoring was used in all cases except for one woman with severe hypertension who required an arterial line during her cesarean section. Forty-seven percent of newborn were under 37 weeks with average gestational week 36 ± 3 days and birth weight 2.5 ± 0.7 kg. Average Apgar was 8.4 ± 1.3 at one minute and 9.3 ± 0.7 at five minutes. There was one neonatal death in the CS group due to placental abruption. Patients after renal transplant can safely undergo birth and obstetric analgesia.

Approaches to reduce urinary tract injury during management of placenta accreta, increta, and percreta: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to answer the following question: are there enhancements to standard peripartum hysterectomy technique that minimize unintentional urinary tract (UT) injury in pregnancies complicated by invasive placental attachment (INPLAT)?

METHODS

A PubMed search of English language articles on INPLAT published by June 2010 was conducted. Data regarding the following parameters was required for inclusion in the quantitative analysis of the review's objective: (1) type of INPLAT, (2) details pertaining to medical and surgical management of INPLAT, and (3) complications, if any, associated with management. An attempt was made to identify approaches that may lower the risk of unintentional UT injury.

RESULTS

Most cases (285 of 292) were managed by hysterectomy. There were 83 (29%) cases of unintentional UT injury. Antenatal diagnosis of INPLAT lowered the rate of UT injury (39% vs. 63%; P = 0.04). Information regarding surgical technique or medical management was available for 90 cases; 14 of these underwent a standard hysterectomy technique. Methotrexate treatment and 11 modifications of the surgical technique were associated with 16% unintentional UT injury rate as opposed to 57% for standard hysterectomy (P = 0.002). The use of ureteral stents reduced risk of urologic injury (P = 0.01). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified antenatal diagnosis as the significant predictor of an intact UT.

CONCLUSIONS

Antenatal diagnosis of INPLAT is paramount to minimize UT injury. Utilization of management modifications identified in this review may reduce urologic injury due to INPLAT.

Cutting-edge advances in the medical management of obstetrical hemorrhage

Hemorrhagic shock is the most common form of shock encountered in obstetric practice. Interventions that may limit transfusion requirements include normovolemic hemodilution, use of recombinant activated factor VII, selective embolization of pelvic vessels by interventional radiology, and the use of the cell saver intraoperatively. Current understanding of the mechanisms of acute coagulopathy calls into question the current transfusion guidelines, leading to a tendency to apply massive transfusion protocols based on hemostatic resuscitation despite lack of prospective data.