Background and objectives: To assess the incidence of complete and partial uterine rupture during childbirth in a single tertiary referral centre as well as the significant risk factors, symptoms and peripartum complications. Materials and Methods: A retrospective single-centre study involved all cases of uterine rupture at the Kaunas Perinatal Centre in 2004–2019. Data were from a local medical database complemented with written information from medical records. We included 45,893 women with an intact uterus and 5630 with uterine scars. Women (n = 5626) with scarred uterus’ after previous cesarean delivery. The diagnosis was defined by clinical symptoms, leading to an emergency cesarean delivery, when complete or partial uterine rupture (n = 35) was confirmed. Asymptomatic cases, when uterine rupture was found at elective cesarean section (n = 3), were excluded. The control group is represented by all births delivered in our department during the study period (n = 51,525). The outcome was complete (tearing of all uterine wall layers, including serosa and membranes) and partial uterine rupture (uterine muscle defect but intact serosa), common uterine rupture symptoms. Risk factors were parameters related to pregnancy and labour. Results: 51,525 deliveries occurred in Kaunas Perinatal Centre during the 15 years of the study period. A total number of 35 (0.06%) symptomatic uterine ruptures were recorded: 22 complete and 13 partial, leading to an incidence rate of 6.8 per 10,000 deliveries. The uterine rupture incidence rate after a single previous cesarean delivery is 44.4 per 10,000 births. 29 (83%) cases had a uterine scar after previous cesarean, 4 (11%) had a previous laparoscopic myomectomy, 2 (6%) had an unscarred uterus. The most significant risk factors of uterine rupture include uterine scarring and augmentation or epidural anaesthesia in patients with a uterine scar after cesarean delivery. The most common clinical sign was acute abdominal pain in labour 18 (51%). No maternal, six intrapartum perinatal deaths (17%) occurred, and one hysterectomy (2.8%) was performed due to uterine rupture. Neonatal mortality reached 22% among the complete ruptures. Average blood loss was 1415 mL, 4 (11%) patients required blood transfusion. Conclusions: The incidence rate of uterine rupture (complete and incomplete) at Kaunas Perinatal Centre is 6.8 per 10,000 deliveries. In cases with a scar of the uterus after a single cesarean, the incidence of uterine rupture is higher, exceeding 44 cases per 10,000 births. The most significant risk factors were uterine scar and augmentation or epidural anaesthesia in a previous cesarean delivery. Acute abdominal pain in labour is the most frequent symptom for uterine rupture.

Background and Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of a Cesarean section (CS) scar niche during pregnancy, assessed by transvaginal ultrasound imaging, and to relate scar measurements, demographic and obstetric variables to the niche evolution and final pregnancy outcome. Materials and Methods: In this prospective observational study, we used transvaginal sonography to examine the uterine scars of 122 women at 11⁺⁰–13⁺⁶, 18⁺⁰–20⁺⁶ and 32⁺⁰–35⁺⁶ weeks of gestation. A scar was defined as visible on pregnant status when the area of hypoechogenic myometrial discontinuity of the lower uterine segment was identified. The CS scar niche (“defect”) was defined as an indentation at the site of the CS scar with a depth of at least 2 mm in the sagittal plane. We measured the hypoechogenic part of the CS niche in two dimensions, as myometrial thickness adjacent to the niche and the residual myometrial thickness (RMT). In the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, the full lower uterine segment (LUS) thickness and the myometrial layer thickness were measured at the thinnest part of the scar area. Two independent examiners measured CS scars in a non-selected subset of patients (n = 24). Descriptive analysis was used to assess scar visibility, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to show the strength of absolute agreement between two examiners for scar measurements. Factors associated with the CS scar niche, including maternal age, BMI, smoking status, previous vaginal delivery, obstetrics complications and a history of previous uterine curettage, were investigated. Clinical information about pregnancy outcomes and complications was obtained from the hospital’s electronic medical database. Results: The scar was visible in 77.9% of the women. Among those with a visible CS scar, the incidence of a CS scar niche was 51.6%. The intra- and interobserver agreement for CS scar niche measurements was excellent (ICC 0.98 and 0.89, respectively). Comparing subgroups of women in terms of CS scar niche (n = 49) and non-niche (n = 73), there was no statistically significant correlation between maternal age (p = 0.486), BMI (p = 0.529), gestational diabetes (p = 1.000), smoking status (p = 0.662), previous vaginal delivery after CS (p = 1.000) and niche development. Uterine scar niches were seen in 56.3% (18/48) of the women who had undergone uterine curettage, compared with 34.4% (31/74) without uterine curettage (p = 0.045). We observed an absence of correlation between the uterine scar niche at the first trimester of pregnancy and mode of delivery (p = 0.337). Two cases (4.7%) of uterine scar dehiscence were confirmed following a trial of vaginal delivery. Conclusions: Based on ultrasonography examination, the CS scar niche remained visible in half of the cases with a visible CS scar at the first trimester of pregnancy and could be reproducibly measured by a transvaginal scan. Previous uterine curettage was associated with an increased risk for uterine niche formation in a subsequent pregnancy. Uterine scar dehiscence might be potentially related to the CS scar niche.

Background and objectives: Placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum are considered major causes of massive postpartum hemorrhage. Objective: To determine whether the placement of an occlusion balloon catheter in the internal iliac artery could reduce bleeding and other related complications during cesarean delivery in patients with placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted at two tertiary obstetric units of Lithuania. From January 2016 to November 2019 patients with placenta previa and antenatally suspected invasive placenta were included in the intervention group and underwent cesarean delivery with endovascular procedure. From January 2014 to December 2015 patients with placenta previa and suspected placenta accreta spectrum were included in the non-intervention group. The primary outcomes were reduction in intraoperative blood loss and transfusion volumes in the intervention group. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of hysterectomy and maternal complications. Results: Nineteen patients underwent cesarean delivery with preoperative endovascular procedure, and 47 women underwent elective cesarean delivery. The median intraoperative blood loss (1000 (400–4500) mL vs. 1000 (400–5000) mL; p = 0.616) and the need for red blood cell transfusion during operation (26% vs. 23%; p = 0.517) did not differ significantly between the patients groups. Seven patients in the intervention group and two patients in the non-intervention group underwent perioperative hysterectomy (p = 0.002). None of the patients had complications related to the endovascular procedure. Conclusion: The use of intermittent balloon occlusion catheter in patients with placenta pathology is a safe method but does not significantly reduce intraoperative blood loss during cesarean delivery.

Introduction: The main goal of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) screening is to enable delivery in an expert center in the presence of an experienced team at an appropriate time. Our study aimed to identify independent risk factors for emergency deliveries within the IS‐PAS 2.0 database cohort and establish a multivariate predictive model.Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected PAS cases from the IS‐PAS database between January 2020 and June 2022 by 23 international expert centers was performed. All PAS cases (singleton and multiple pregnancies) managed according to local protocols were included. Individuals with emergent delivery were identified and compared to those with scheduled delivery. A multivariate analysis was conducted to identify the possible risk factors for emergency delivery and was used to establish a predictive model. Maternal outcomes were compared.Results: Overall, 315 women were included in the study. Of these, 182 participants (89 with emergent and 93 with scheduled delivery) were included in the final analysis after exclusion of those with unsuspected PAS antenatally or who lacked information about the urgency of delivery. Gestational age at delivery was higher in the scheduled group (34.7 vs. 32.9, p < 0.001). Antenatal bleeding (OR 2.9, p = 0.02) and a placenta located over a uterine scar (OR 0.38, p = 0.001) were the independent predictive factors for emergent delivery (AUC 0.68). Ultrasound (US) markers: loss of clear zone (p = 0.001), placental lacunae (p = 0.01), placental bulge (p = 0.02), and presence of bridging vessels (p = 0.02) were more frequently documented in the scheduled group. None of these markers improved the predictive values of the model. Higher PAS grades were identified in the scheduled group (p = 0.01). There were no significant differences in maternal outcomes.Conclusions: Antenatal bleeding and the placental location away from the uterine scar remained the most significant predictors for emergent delivery among patients with PAS, even when combining more predictive risk factors, including US markers. Based on these results, patients who bleed antenatally may benefit from transfer to an expert center, as we found no differences in maternal outcomes between groups delivered in expert centers. Earlier‐scheduled delivery is not supported due to the low predictive value of our model.

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a life-threatening obstetric condition associated with increasing cesarean delivery rates worldwide. Existing classifica

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate changes in uterine scar thickness after previous cesarean delivery longitudinally during pregnancy, and to correlate cesarean section (CS) scar myometrial thickness in the first trimester in two participants groups (CS scar with a niche and CS scar without a niche) with the low uterine segment (LUS) myometrial thickness changes between the second and third trimesters. Materials and Methods: In this prospective longitudinal study, pregnant women aged 18–41 years after at least one previous CS were included. Transvaginal sonography (TVS) was used to examine uterine scars after CS at 11–14 weeks. The CS scar niche (“defect”) was defined as an indentation at the site of the CS scar with a depth of at least 2 mm in the sagittal plane. Scar myometrial thickness was measured, and scars were classified subjectively as a scar with a niche (niche group) or without a niche (non-niche group). In the CS scar niche group, RMT (distance from the serosal surface of the uterus to the apex of the niche) was measured and presented as CS scar myometrial thickness in the first trimester. The myometrial thickness at the internal cervical os was measured in the non-niche group. The full LUS and myometrial LUS thickness at 18–20 and 32–35 weeks of gestation were measured in the thinnest part of the scar area using TVS. Friedman’s ANOVA test was used to analyse scar thickness during pregnancy and Mann–Whitney test to compare scar changes between CS scar niche and non-niche women groups. For a pairwise comparison in CS scar thickness measurements in the second and third trimesters, we used Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test. Results: A total of 122 eligible participants were recruited to the study during the first trimester of pregnancy. The scar niche was visible in 40.2% of cases. Uterine scar myometrial thickness decreases during pregnancy from 9.9 (IQR, 5.0–12.9) at the first trimester to 2.1 (IQR, 1.7–2.7) at the third trimester of pregnancy in the study population (p = 0.001). The myometrial CS scar thickness in the first trimester (over the niche) was thinner in the women’s group with CS scar niche compared with the non-niche group (at internal cervical os) (p < 0.001). The median difference between measurements in the CS scar niche group and non-niche group between the second and third trimester was 2.4 (IQR, 0.8–3.4) and 1.1 (IQR, 0.2–2.6) (p = 0.019), respectively. Myometrial LUS thickness as percentage decreases significantly between the second and third trimester in the CS scar niche group compared to the non-niche group (U = 1225; z = −2.438; p = 0.015). Conclusions: CS scar myometrial thickness changes throughout pregnancy and the appearance of the CS scar niche was associated with a more significant decrease in LUS myometrial thickness between the second and third trimesters.