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A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the risk of uterine rupture or dehiscence after cesarean section. During the 10 years of the study, 24,644 patients were delivered of infants. Of these women, 2036 (8.3%) had previously undergone cesarean section. A trial of labor was allowed in 1008 of these patients, and 92.2% were delivered vaginally. The incidence of uterine rupture in this trial of labor group was 0.6%, compared with 0.4% in the total group. Cesarean section scar rupture caused no serious complications in either the mothers or the offspring in the trial of labor group. Uterine rupture in this group was not associated with use of oxytocin or epidural analgesia. Patients with lower-segment scar rupture had no history of puerperal pyrexia. The incidence of uterine dehiscence was 4%. In summary, the risk of uterine rupture in patients who have previously undergone cesarean section but are allowed a trial of labor is low and not associated with serious complications. Vaginal delivery is therefore considered the safest route of delivery in these patients. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1989;160:569-73.)

During a 3-year period, 1,319 women delivered of their infants by cesarean section were prospectively studied to determine the type and rate of postcesarean complications and to identify risk factors which predispose to postoperative morbidity. The overall complication rate was 14.5% and the most common complication was infection (13.3%), in particular, endometritis (6.6%), urinary tract infection (3.1%), and wound infection (1.6%). A lower complication rate was seen in elective operations (4.7%) compared with emergency operations (24.2%). Four significant factors that predispose to postoperative morbidity were identified: duration of ruptured membranes prior to operation (p less than 0.001), duration of labor prior to operation (p less than 0.001), anemia (p less than 0.01), and obesity (p less than 0.01). Patients with a combination of risk factors had an increased complication rate, in some cases as high as 91%. The clinical relevance of these findings in trying to decide possible ways to reduce the complication rate by changing the delivery routines is discussed.