The RPOC long axis is a simple indicator for predicting the need of invasive strategies for secondary postpartum hemorrhage in either post-abortion or post-partum women: a retrospective case control study.

BACKGROUND: The retained products of conception (RPOC) and related conditions (RPOC-ARC) are the main cause of secondary postpartum hemorrhage (sPPH), but there is no clear consensus for their management. The purpose of this study was to characterize those RPOC-ARC that require invasive treatment and those that could be managed more conservatively. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 96 cases of RPOC-ARC that occurred after miscarriage, abortion, or delivery at a gestational age between 12 and 42 completed weeks, that were managed within our institution from May 2015 to August 2020. We reviewed the associations between the occurrence of sPPH requiring invasive treatment with clinical factors such as the maternal background and the characteristics of the lesions. RESULTS: The range of gestational age at delivery in our study was 12-21 weeks in 61 cases, 22-36 in 5, and 37 or later in 30. Among them, nine cases required invasive procedures for treatment. The onset of sPPH was within one month of delivery in all but two cases, with a median of 24 days (range 9-47). We found significant differences between requirements for invasive versus non-invasive strategies according to gestational age at delivery, assisted reproductive technology (ART) pregnancy, amount of blood loss at delivery, and the long axis of the RPOC-ARC lesion (p = 0.028, p = 0.009, p = 0.004, and p = 0.002, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that only the long axis of the lesion showed a significant difference (p = 0.029). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve for predicting the need for invasive strategies using the long axis of the lesion showed that with a cutoff of 4.4 cm, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) was 87.5, 90.0, 43.8, and 98.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The long axis of the RPOC-ARC is a simple indicator for predicting which sPPH will require invasive procedures, which use is rare in cases with lesions less than 4.4 cm or those occurring after the first postpartum month. Conservative management should be considered in such cases.

Postpartum Stanford type B aortic dissection in a woman with Loeys-Dietz syndrome who underwent a prophylactic aortic root replacement before conception: A case report.

OBJECTIVE: Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is associated with a higher risk of aortic dissections (ADs) during pregnancy and postpartum. However, there is limited evidence about the perinatal management of LDS patients who have undergone prophylactic aortic root replacements (ARRs) before conception. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 28-year-old nulliparous pregnant woman with LDS with a pathogenic variant within exon 5 of TGFBR2 (c.1379G > T, p.[Arg460Leu]), who underwent an ARR at 20 years of age. Cardiac echocardiography did not show any significant changes in the aorta during pregnancy, and her blood pressure remained normal. She had a cesarean section at 37 weeks of gestation. She developed an acute Stanford type B AD extending from the aortic arch to the infrarenal aorta 8 days postpartum and underwent a total arch replacement. CONCLUSION: This case report suggests that patients with LDS after prophylactic ARRs still possess a risk for Stanford type B ADs.

[Acute Puerperal Uterine Inversion: A Case Report]. / Akute Inversio uteri puerperalis: Eine Falldarstellung.

Puerperal inversion of the uterus is a rare but life-threatening obstetric complication. Unrecognized, it can lead to severe bleeding and shock and even maternal death. Manual replacement under general anesthesia is usually successful. If the manual replacement fails, surgical replacement by laparotomy needs to be performed. In any case, mortality and morbidity can be reduced by rapid recognition and immediate replacement. Therefore, regular practical exercises for the detection and treatment of acute uterine inversion as well as other obstetric emergencies should be performed as part of medical training. We would like to report of a 31-year-old Gravida 2 Para 0 at 39 weeks+4 days of gestation who, after an uncomplicated spontaneous vaginal delivery, had an acute third-degree uterine inversion, which was replaced by laparotomy after an unsuccessful vaginal replacement attempt.

Re-suturing of puerperal perineal wound: An assessment of indications, risk factors and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency of puerperal perineal wound re-suturing, and to evaluate the indications, risk factors and outcomes of this procedure. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective series of all parturients that underwent puerperal perineal tear suturing between 2005 and 2019 was undertaken. All parturients who required re-suturing during the delivery hospitalization were identified and compared with those who had puerperal perineal wound repair and did not require re-suturing. General demographics, obstetrical history, current delivery characteristics, re-suturing indications, and outcome were obtained and analyzed. RESULTS: During the study period, 54,934 parturients required puerperal perineal tear suturing, of which 47 (0.09%) required re-suturing within their postpartum hospitalization. Median time from delivery to perineal re-suturing was 5.38 h [IQR 4.07-7.14]. The most common indication was vulvovaginal hematoma (n = 37, 78.7%). The independent risk factors found to be associated with re-suturing were: cephalic malposition (aOR 9.3, 95% CI 1.26-67.74) and meconium stained amniotic fluid (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.10-3.85). Parturients who underwent re-suturing had significantly higher rates of postpartum hemorrhage (78.5% vs. 11.4%) blood transfusions (36.2% vs. 1.3%), puerperal fever, and longer hospitalizations (P < 0.01 for all). CONCLUSION: In our population, early re-suturing of puerperal perineal tears is rare, however, it is associated with increased short term maternal morbidity.

Spontaneous Spinal Epidural Hematoma After Normal Spontaneous Delivery with Epidural Analgesia: Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is a known risk factor for spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma. During cesarean section or vaginal delivery, the unstable hemodynamic status that may occur owing to fluctuation of intra-abdominal pressure increases the possibility of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma. During labor and the postpartum period, neurologic symptoms may be masked by labor pain or anesthesia block, which makes early diagnosis difficult, especially in the obstetric clinic without a neurologist or neurosurgeon. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 28-year-old woman who had a normal spontaneous delivery under epidural anesthesia developed bilateral lower limb flaccid paralysis and loss of sensation 12.5 hours after delivery. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 5.2 × 0.9 × 2 cm spinal epidural hematoma with severe spinal cord stenosis at the T2-T5 level with no evidence of a vascular anomaly. After emergent evacuation of the spinal epidural hematoma, lower limb muscle power improved from 0/5 to 1/5, and sensation gradually returned to bilateral lower limbs 22 days postoperatively. Deep vein thrombosis developed at 35 days postoperatively, and an inferior vena cava filter was implanted with urokinase infusion for thrombolytic therapy. She was discharged on day 52 after admission, and lower limb muscle power returned to normal after 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should observe postpartum women for signs of myelopathy or back tenderness and closely monitor neurologic function until anesthesia has run its course. A prompt diagnosis can enable prompt intervention.

Case report: difficulty in diagnosis of delayed spinal epidural hematoma in puerperal women after combined spinal epidural anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Spinal epidural hematoma is a rare but serious complication of epidural anaesthesia and neurological impairment. Epidural hematoma usually becomes evident within a few hours of the procedure. Delayed clinical presentation of spinal epidural hematoma is even rarer and insidious. CASE PRESENTATION: We reported a case of a 44-year-old woman who underwent a caesarean section for a twin pregnancy during which a delayed dorsal spinal epidural hematoma occurred. Symptoms were reported 5 days after surgery and 72 h after removal of the epidural catheter. An MRI scan showed a dorsal epidural hematoma. The patient was moved to the Neurosurgical Department and underwent decompression surgery. CONCLUSION: The possibility of the delayed onset of a spinal epidural hematoma in a pregnant woman who undergoes epidural anaesthesia in labour must always be taken into consideration. In order to achieve the best clinical result, we stress the importance of a timely diagnosis and prompt surgical treatment.

First case of spontaneous rupture of the left ureter in immediate post-partum.

The rupture of the ureter during pregnancy is a rare complication and is most frequently observed in the right ureter. We report below the case of a rupture in the left ureter. A 36-year old woman gave birth vaginally to a 3010-g girl without operative vaginal delivery or episiotomy. The following day, the patient exhibited a sudden pain in the left side spreading to the left iliac fossa. An abdominopelvic CT scan was carried out and revealed a flow of contrast agent at the left ureteral lumbar level and a left urinoma. A ureteral stent was inserted on the left side under X-ray control. Six weeks after delivery the ureteral stent was removed. The Uro CT scan allowed us to confirm the total recovery of the left ureter. We have reported below the first case of left rupture treated in a conservative manner with positive and functional clinical progress.

Extracranial-to-Intracranial Bypass for Refractory Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: Vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially after failure of first-line medical and/or endovascular therapies. Although the optimal therapeutic strategy for refractory VBI remains unclear, surgical bypass represents a potentially life-saving treatment in this patient subset. METHODS: A multi-institution retrospective database review was performed to identify patients with symptomatic refractory VBI over a 4-year period (July 2014 to July 2018). Surgical treatments, as well as clinical and neurologic outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: Five patients were identified with refractory VBI (average age 55 ± 11.0 years). All 5 patients had clinically significant posterior circulation strokes on presentation. Three patients underwent superficial temporal artery-to-superior cerebellar artery bypass based on significant acute perfusion mismatches or progressive strokes despite maximal medical therapy; 1 surgical patient (33%) experienced punctate perioperative strokes and there were no significant bypass related complications. Functional outcomes in the 3 surgical patients were correlated with preoperative stroke burden. The remaining 2 patients experienced rapid neurologic declines after presentation that precluded bypass, and died shortly thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: Refractory VBI has high morbidity, with cerebral bypass representing a safe and potentially efficacious treatment for selected patients. Long-term post-bypass outcomes are dependent on the level of irreversible preoperative neurologic injuries.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection in a postpartum e-cigarette smoker.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare but lethal cause of acute coronary syndrome that occurs in young women during the peripartum/postpartum periods. We present a case of a 41-year-old woman with no significant medical history, but was a habitual e-cigarette smoker who presented with atypical chest pain 2 weeks after an uncomplicated delivery while breast feeding. The patient was found to have elevated cardiac enzymes and ST segment elevations in the anterior leads. An urgent cardiac catheterisation was performed, which revealed dissection and occlusion of the left anterior descending artery, and a drug-eluting stent was placed that resulted in the resolution of chest pain. Physiological changes during the postpartum period may be linked to an increased risk of developing SCAD.1 In addition, e-cigarette smoking is associated with increased oxidative stress and sympathetic activity, which may predispose patients to an increased risk of acute coronary syndrome.

Total artificial heart implantation in a young Marfan syndrome patient.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular complications represent the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with Marfan syndrome. Here, we describe a unique case where a total artificial heart was implanted in a young Marfan syndrome woman. METHODS: A 22-year-old postpartum African American female with Marfan syndrome developed multiple severe valve dysfunction and biventricular failure that was refractory to medical management. She previously had a Bentall procedure for Type A aortic dissection and repair of a Type B dissection. RESULTS: We implanted a total artificial heart with a good outcome. CONCLUSION: Total artificial heart is a durable option for severe biventricular failure and multiple valvular dysfunction as a bridge to transplant in a young patient with Marfan syndrome.

Surgical Repair of Rectovaginal Fistula Using the Modified Martius Procedure: A Step-by-Step Guide.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the surgical repair of a rectovaginal fistula (RVF) using the modified Martius procedure. DESIGN: A step-by-step presentation of the procedure using video (Canadian Task Force classification III). SETTING: RVF is abnormal epithelialized connections between the vagina and rectum. Causes of RVF include obstetric trauma, Crohn disease, pelvic irradiation, and postsurgical complications. Many surgical interventions have been developed, from the laparoscopic technique to muscle transposition and even rectal resection. However, the treatment of RVF is a great challenge to gynecologic surgeons because the incidence of RVF is low and there is no high evidence for the best surgical approach to this disease. When RVF is persistent or recurrent, the surrounding tissue is always scarred or damaged, so the interposition of a healthy and well-perfused tissue is an appropriate approach to fistula management. The modified Martius procedure using adipose tissue from the labia major places well-vascularized pedicle in the place of the RVF. Limited studies involving the procedure present favorable successful rates. PATIENT: Consent was obtained from the patient. The study was approved by the local ethics committee. INTERVENTION: The surgical repair of rectovaginal fistula by the modified Martius procedure is described as follows: The patient is placed in the high lithotomy position. A temporary transurethral urinary catheter is placed preoperatively to keep the operative site clean. The rectovaginal fistula is identified by a fistula probe. A 4-cm incision is made vertically over the left labium majus from the level of the mons pubis to the bottom of the labium to harvest pedicle. It is imperative to ensure adequate length on the flap before transection. Blood supply to the fat-muscle flap is provided superiorly by the external pudendal artery, posteriorly by the internal posterior and laterally by the obturator artery. The fat-muscle flap is dissected in a lateral-to-medial direction and divided in the upper section by two clamps, preserving its posterior aspect intact to maintain its blood supply. After that the fistula is circumcised with a scalpel through the vaginal wall with a margin of healthy tissue. During the process, the rectovaginal septum is opened and wide mobilized so that a multilayer closure can be performed without any tension. Then a subcutaneous tunnel is made from the labium majus to the fistula with a forcep. It is also important to make the tunnel wide enough to easily accommodate the flap. The fat-muscle flap is pulled through the tunnel gently, ensuring proper orientation without kinking the blood supply. The rectal mucosa is sutured in one layer with 3-0 Vicryl in interrupted fashion. The flap is then sutured down to the rectal wall with four single sutures in interrupted fashion. So the rectal and vaginal walls are separated with a healthy, well-vascularized pedicle. In addition, the flap fills in the dead space and enhances granulation tissue. The vaginal mucosa is then closed over the pedicle with 1-0 Vicryl in interrupted suture without tension. The labial incision is closed in layers with absorbable suture. Neither incision is drained. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In this video, we describe the modified Martius procedure for the management of RVF. We present a 26-year-old woman who suffered from RVF caused by obstetric trauma. She complained of passing flatus and feces through the vagina 1 week after vaginal delivery. Clinical examination performed in the local hospital confirmed RVF 1 cm in diameter located in the lower third of the vagina. The fistula was present for about 6 months, which brought psychosocial dysfunction to the patient. She was transferred to our clinic. After examination, the anal sphincter was intact. After mechanical bowel preparation with polyethylene glycol solution, the patient was presented for surgery. The operating time was about 40 minutes. No recurrence or complications were observed at the 4-month follow-up. A protective ileostomy or colostomy was avoided. The patient reestablished intestinal continuity. The functional and cosmetic results were excellent with high patient satisfaction and greatly improved quality of life. CONCLUSION: The Martius flap is easy to harvest with minimal external disfigurement and a minimal recovery time. The modified Martius procedure is a feasible adjuvant technique for RVF with excellent postoperative outcomes.

Iatrogenic propagation of coronary dissection during diagnostic coronary angiography: an uncommon but important procedural consideration.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is an uncommon cause of acute myocardial infarction in the general population but is relatively more common in the peripartum period. Regardless of clinical setting, the management strategy is individualised, ranging from conservative to invasive. We report a case of peripartum myocardial infarction due to spontaneous coronary dissection that propagated during diagnostic angiography and ultimately required emergent bypass surgery.

Puerperal Complications of a Retroplacental Uterine Leiomyoma.

Leiomyoma can be found concomitant with pregnancy and can cause complications during labor, delivery, and postpartum management. In the present case, a 26-year-old nulliparous patient at 39.4 weeks gestational age with a 12×9-cm retroplacental leiomyoma underwent a spontaneous vaginal delivery. Nine weeks after delivery, the patient presented with acute pain and vaginal bleeding. Immediate manual removal of the bulk of the leiomyoma tissue via vaginal approach was performed. Four weeks later, the patient returned for removal of the remaining tissue via hysteroscopic excision. This case demonstrates that a large retroplacental leiomyoma can be associated with both immediate and delayed postpartum complications, and it can be managed in a minimally invasive way.