Peripartum Hysterectomies over a Fifteen-year Period

Objective: To determine the indications and outcomes of peripartum hysterectomies performed at Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre (a university hospital in Southern Brazil) during the past 15 years, and to analyze the clinical characteristics of the women submitted to this procedure. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 47 peripartum hysterectomies from 2005 to 2019. Results: The peripartum hysterectomies performed in our hospital were indicated mainly due to placenta accreta or suspicion thereof (44.7% of the cases), puerperal hemorrhage without placenta accreta (27.7%), and infection (25.5%). Total hysterectomies accounted for 63.8% of the cases, and we found no difference between total versus subtotal hysterectomies in the studied outcomes. Most hysterectomies were performed within 24 hours after delivery, and they were associated with placenta accreta, placenta previa, and older maternal age. Conclusion: Most (66.0%) patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Those who did not need it were significantly older, and had more placenta accreta, placenta previa, or previous Cesarean delivery.