title: Emergency obstetric hysterectomies for postpartum haemorrhage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review emergency obstetric hysterectomy in our unit, including the indications for and morbidity associated with the procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cases analysis.
  
  
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kun
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004630:Emergencies; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008499:Medical Records; D009017:Morbidity; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006473:Postpartum Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies