Conservative stepwise surgical approach for management of placenta previa accreta: A prospective case series study

Objective To describe a stepwise surgical approach for conservative management of placenta previa accreta to preserve the uterus and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this approach in controlling postpartum hemorrhage including intrapartum hemorrhage. Methods A prospective case series study conducted on 62 pregnant women with one or more cesarean deliveries diagnosed with placenta previa accreta between January 2018 and June 2019 at Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital. All participants underwent a conservative stepwise surgical approach through Pfannenstiel skin incision with fetal delivery through a uterine incision just above the upper border of the placenta, followed by bilateral uterine artery ligation with myometrial excision of the remaining adherent placenta and cervico-isthmic sutures by MMG (the main surgeon) and MS. Results Among 62 women, the surgical approach was successful in controlling postpartum hemorrhage and preserving the uterus in 50 (80.64%) participants. Three women (4.83%) had urinary bladder injuries, all were managed intraoperatively during the cesarean section. Five women (8%) had postpartum pyrexia and five women (8%) had postpartum endometritis, all were managed conservatively with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Conclusion The stepwise surgical approach can be applied to the conservative management of placenta previa accreta to avoid unnecessary cesarean hysterectomy.