To estimate maternal outcome after conservative management of placenta accreta. This retrospective multicenter study sought to include all women treated conservatively for placenta accreta in tertiary university hospital centers in France from 1993 to 2007. Conservative management was defined by the obstetrician's decision to leave the placenta in situ, partially or totally, with no attempt to remove it forcibly. The primary outcome was success of conservative treatment, defined by uterine preservation. The secondary outcome was a composite measure of severe maternal morbidity including sepsis, septic shock, peritonitis, uterine necrosis, fistula, injury to adjacent organs, acute pulmonary edema, acute renal failure, deep vein thrombophlebitis or pulmonary embolism, or death. Of the 40 university hospitals that agreed to participate in this study, 25 institutions had used conservative treatment at least once (range 1-46) and had treated a total of 167 women. Conservative treatment was successful for 131 of the women (78.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 71.4-84.4%); of the remaining 36 women, 18 had primary hysterectomy and 18 had delayed hysterectomy (10.8% each, 95% CI 6.5-16.5%). Severe maternal morbidity occurred in 10 cases (6.0%, 95% CI 2.9-10.7%). One woman died of myelosuppression and nephrotoxicity related to intraumbilical methotrexate administration. Spontaneous placental resorption occurred in 87 of 116 cases (75.0%, 95% CI 66.1-82.6%), with a median delay from delivery of 13.5 weeks (range 4-60 weeks). Conservative treatment for placenta accreta can help women avoid hysterectomy and involves a low rate of severe maternal morbidity in centers with adequate equipment and resources.

The aim of this study was to estimate the fertility and pregnancy outcomes after successful conservative treatment for placenta accreta. This retrospective national multicenter study included women with a history of conservative management for placenta accreta in French university hospitals from 1993 through 2007. Success of conservative treatment was defined by uterine preservation. Data were retrieved from medical files and telephone interviews. Follow-up data were available for 96 (73.3%) of the 131 women included in the study. There were eight women who had severe intrauterine synechiae and were amenorrheic. Of the 27 women who wanted more children, 3 women were attempting to become pregnant (mean duration: 11.7 months, range: 7–14 months), and 24 (88.9% [95% confidence interval (CI), 70.8–97.6%]) women had had 34 pregnancies (21 third-trimester deliveries, 1 ectopic pregnancy, 2 elective abortions and 10 miscarriages) with a mean time to conception of 17.3 months (range, 2–48 months). All 21 deliveries had resulted in healthy babies born after 34 weeks of gestation. Placenta accreta recurred in 6 of 21 cases [28.6% (95% CI, 11.3–52.2%)] and was associated with placenta previa in 4 cases. Post-partum hemorrhage occurred in four [19.0% (95% CI, 5.4–41.9%)] cases, related to placenta accreta in three and to uterine atony in one. Successful conservative treatment for placenta accreta does not appear to compromise the patients' subsequent fertility or obstetrical outcome. Nevertheless, patients should be advised of the high risk that placenta accreta may recur during future pregnancies.