title: Emergency obstetric hysterectomy in a university hospital: A 25-year review.
abstract: Over the past 25 years, 43 peripartum hysterectomies were performed at the authors' institution, an incidence of 0.64/1,000 deliveries; 31 procedures followed caesarean section and 12 were performed for haemorrhage following vaginal delivery. The common indications for hysterectomy were abnormal placentation (39.5%), uterine atony (23.3%), uterine rupture (23.3%), and haemorrhage during caesarean section (11.6%). The risk factors for hysterectomy included advancing maternal age and parity, previous caesarean section scars and abnormal placentation. Subtotal hysterectomy was performed in 72.1% cases which appeared a quicker and safer procedure than total hysterectomy in desperately ill patients. Five (11.6%) maternal deaths occurred in the series. Mortality was associated with massive haemorrhage. With rising caesarean section rates worldwide, MRI and colour Doppler sonography is useful to diagnose antepartum placenta accreta/bladder involvement in order to plan elective surgery that is associated with reduced maternal morbidity and mortality. Early decision to perform an emergency hysterectomy is essential before the patient's condition deteriorates, besides availability of an experienced obstetrician to undertake a technically demanding operation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Ali
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Qutub
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Al-Suleiman
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Al-Jama
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000379:methods*; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015994:Incidence; D008423:Maternal Age; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology