Emergency obstetric hysterectomy.
BACKGROUND
All cases of obstetric hysterectomies that were performed in our hospital during a seven-year study period were reviewed in order to evaluate the incidence, indications, risk factors, and complications associated with emergency obstetric hysterectomy.


METHODS
Medical records of 45 patients who had undergone emergency hysterectomy were scrutinized and evaluated retrospectively. Maternal age, parity, gestational age, indication for hysterectomy, the type of operation performed, estimated blood loss, amount of blood transfused, complications, and hospitalization period were noted and evaluated. The main outcome measures were the factors associated with obstetric hysterectomy as well as the indications for the procedure.


RESULTS
During the study period there were 32,338 deliveries and 9,601 of them (29.7%) were by cesarean section. In this period, 45 emergency hysterectomies were performed, with an incidence of 1 in 2,526 vaginal deliveries and 1 in 267 cesarean sections. All of them were due to massive postpartum hemorrhage. The most common underlying pathologies was placenta accreta (51.1%) and placenta previa (26.7%). There was no maternal mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Obstetric hysterectomy is a necessary life-saving procedure. Abnormal placentation is the leading cause of emergency hysterectomy when obstetric practice is characterized by a high cesarean section rate. Therefore, every attempt should be made to reduce the cesarean section rate by performing this procedure only for valid clinical indications.
Daskalakis
George
G
1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Athens, Alexandra Hospital, 80 Vas. Sofias Av., Athens, Greece. gdaskalaki@yahoo.com
Anastasakis
Eleftherios
E
Papantoniou
Nikolaos
N
Mesogitis
Spyros
S
Theodora
Mariana
M
Antsaklis
Aris
A
D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010298:Parity; D010921:Placenta Accreta / Q000601:surgery; D010923:Placenta Previa / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D006473:Postpartum Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors