The effect of surgical procedure on surgical outcomes in patients undergoing emergency peripartum hysterectomy: a retrospective

Objective To investigate the effect of surgical procedure on the operation's results in patients undergoing emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH). Methods The records of patients who underwent EPH due to postpartum hemorrhage between 2010 and 2020 in two tertiary centers with a high crude delivery rate were retrospectively analyzed. Surgical data were compared according to the EPH type. Results During the study period, 115,709 births occurred in these two centers. EPH was administered for 181 (1.6%) of these patients. Sixty-seven (37%) of the EPH cases involved subtotal EPH (SEPH), and 114 (63%) were total EPH (TEPH). Surgical time (107.3 +/- 17.6 vs. 134.2 +/- 32.3 min, p < 0.001), erythrocyte transfusion count (2.6 +/- 1.3 vs. 4.3 +/- 6.2, p < 0.001), ureter injury (0.0 vs. 7.9%), bladder injury (1.5 vs. 28.1%), disseminated intravascular coagulation (1.5 vs. 9.6%), need for relaparotomy (4.5 vs. 14%), and intensive care unit admission (19.4 vs. 52.6%) were found to be higher in the TEPH group compared to the SEPH group (p < 0.05). In addition, the total length of hospitalization was longer in the TEPH group (4.5 +/- 2.3 vs. 6.1 +/- 4.6 day, p = 0.011). Conclusion According to the results, if the bleeding in peripartum hemorrhage requiring EPH can be controlled with SEPH, attempting to remove the cervix completely may be associated with increased surgical time, blood transfusion need, and surgical complications.