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References
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249
with laparoscopy-assisted local injection of etopo­side. Fertil Steril. 2008;90(4):1200.e1–2.
261. Fouelifack FY, Fouogue JT, Fouedjio JH, Sando Z.Ovarian pregnancy: a case report in a resource­poor setting. Pan Afr Med J. 2013;16:143.
262. Ranaivoson HVR, Ranaivomanana VF, Nomenjanahary L, Andriamampionona TF,
Randrianjasamindrakotroka NS. [Ovarian preg­nancy: about 3 cases and review of the literature]. Pan Afr Med J. 2016;25:128.
263. Gray CL, Ruffolo EH.Ovarian pregnancy associated with intrauterine contraceptive devices. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1978;132(2):134–9.
Uterine Rupture andPerforation
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10
Abstract
Nontraumatic uterine rupture is a rare but often catastrophic obstetric complication with an overall incidence of approximately 1/1536 pregnancies. In western countries, it is ve times less common. Most spontaneous uterine ruptures occur in women with uterine scars, mostly due to previous Cesarean deliv­eries. The most consistent early indicator is prolonged, persistent, and profound fetal bra­dycardia. Abdominal pain, abnormal prog­ress in labor, and vaginal bleeding are less consistent and less valuable in establishing the appropriate diagnosis. Cesarean delivery should start within 20–30 min of fetal dis­tress. Fetal or placental extrusion through the uterine wall mostly results in irreversible fetal damage. Therefore, such a recommen­dation is of limited value in preventing major fetal and neonatal complications. However, immediate supportive and resuscitation methods within this period prevent maternal exsanguination and death. This is followed by denitive surgical intervention. Traumatic uterine rupture mostly results from maternal blunt abdominal trauma. Pathophysiology is similar to nontraumatic rupture. Uterine per­foration is rare. It results from maternal stab or gunshot wounds.
Ruptures occur during the increased pressure on the organ, either from outside or inside. Ruptures can be spontaneous or traumatic. Perforation occurs when the underlying pathologic process destroys or penetrates the organ wall.
10.1 Spontaneous Uterine
Rupture
10.1.1 Historical Perspective
One of the rst descriptions of spontaneous uter­ine rupture (UR) was by Wilhelm Fabry (also William Fabry, Guilelmus Fabricius Hildanus, or Fabricius von Hilden) in the seventeenth century (Fig.10.1). The rst case was a multigravida dur­ing labor at term with the UR due to fetal trans­verse lie. The second was a fatal case of UR caused by obstructed labor [2]. In James Dowling Trask’s (1821–1883, one of the founders of the American Gynecologic Society) monograph on UR, 303 cases were recorded from 1700 to 1848; only 38 were classied as URs during pregnancy, the others being cases of UR during labor. Real numbers are smaller when cases are excluded that are some other condition or premature labor. When this reduction has been made, 14 cases remain [3]. Cooper, in 1858, described the post­mortem ndings of UR, in the third month of
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023 G. Augustin, Acute Abdomen During Pregnancy, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26021-6_10
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252
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Fig. 10.1 Wilhelm Fabry (June 25, 1560–February 15,
1634), often called the “Father of German surgery,” was the rst educated German scientic surgeon. He is the author of 20 medical books. His Observationum et Curationum Chirurgicarum Centuriae, published posthu­mously in 1641, is the best collection of case records of the century. (Reproduced with permission from [1] under the CC Attribution License)
10 Uterine Rupture andPerforation
pregnancy, from tuberculous degeneration of the fundus [4]. A further collection of 98 UR cases was by R.P. M.Ames (the Philadelphia Hospital and the Jefferson Medical College Hospital, Philadelphia) in 1881 [5] and A. Lewers (17 cases) in 1887 [6]. In 1903, Baisch recorded 37 nontraumatic URs in the rst 6months of preg­nancy [7].
10.1.2 Denition andClassication
UR is a disruption of the uterine muscle and vis­ceral peritoneum or a uterine muscle separation extending to the bladder or broad ligament. UR can be incomplete or complete.
Incomplete (partial) uterine rupture is present when the uterine wall is extremely thinned, and the uterine muscular layer is lost, but the uterine serosa (parietal peritoneum) is preserved (Fig. 10.2). One example is the laceration that opens from the uterus into the broad ligament but with the anterior and posterior leaves of this structure remaining untorn. Incomplete UR is common with scar dehiscence. In contrast to a frank UR, uterine scar dehiscence disrupts and separates a preexisting uterine scar after CS.Uterine scar dehiscence is a more common event than UR.Importantly, the defect in the uter­ine wall limited to scar dehiscence does not dis­rupt the overlying visceral peritoneum. It does
Fig. 10.2 Operative ndings at a Cesarean section. (a) The thin anterior uterine wall (asterisk) with a bulge caused by fetal parts from the inside. Arrows indicate the peritoneum. The left side of the photograph is the caudal side of the patient. (b) After delivery and removal of the
placenta, the thin wall is gently pushed from inside the uterus with a nger. The ngertip (large arrow) is visible through the thin wall. The asterisk indicates the surgeon’s right hand. Small arrows indicate the uterine incision site. (Reproduced with permission from [8] under the CC BY 2.0)
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not result in clinically signicant bleeding from the edges of the preexisting uterine scar. In addi­tion, in cases of uterine dehiscence (as opposed to UR), the fetus, placenta, and umbilical cord remain contained within the uterine cavity.
Complete uterine rupture is present when rup­ture occurs through all layers of the uterine wall, including serosa with or without accompanying bleeding or hematoma (Fig.10.3). Therefore, the amniotic cavity directly communicates with the abdominal cavity. Approximately 70% have a complete UR and 25% have an incomplete UR.Seventy percent of scar ruptures presented with complete UR [10].
Additional factors dictate treatment strategy and prognosis: (1) placental abruption, (2) the expulsion of the fetus into the abdominal cavity, or (3) the expulsion of the amniotic sac (Fig.10.4).
Several classication systems are related to UR etiology. The main classication is traumatic UR, spontaneous UR [12], or a combination of these. True spontaneous UR is a partial or full- thickness separation of the uterine wall before the onset of myometrial contractions that occurs primarily in the third trimester when the intrauterine volume and pressures are at the highest levels. Unfortunately,
253
Fig. 10.4 Intraoperative appearance of the uterine fundus before placenta removal. Uterine rupture is at the right cor­neal area with prolapsed amniotic sac (*). (Reproduced with permission from [11] under the CC Attribution License)
many cases were published under the term sponta­neous but are not true spontaneous URs.
Schrinsky and Benson made an etiology­based classication in 1978 [13], which was fur­ther updated and expanded (Table10.1).
Rickards, in 1938, described ve types of UR of the scarred uterus during pregnancy [17].
Type I the rupture occurs through an old upper segment incision, and the placenta is situated away from the uterine scar. Characteristics include the following:
• The rupture tends to take place during labor,
• Little or no bleeding with a normal pulse,
• The pain may become niggling in type after
the scar has started to give way,
• The bulging bag of membranes may some-
times be palpated through the abdominal wall,
• Prognosis is good, provided that suitable treat-
ment is available.
Fig. 10.3 Complete uterine rupture with a large left broad ligament hematoma with multiple minor bleeding points from the branches of the uterine artery. (Reproduced with permission from [9] under the CC BY 3.0)
Type II The rupture occurs through an upper segment incision, and the placenta is underneath the old scar. This type is more severe. When the placenta is underneath the old scar, the placental villi gradually erode brous tissue [18]. This ero­sion is insidious and may cause marked attenua­tion of the scar during the latter part of pregnancy. The rupture is more liable to occur before the onset of labor. The eating away of the scar may be associated with vague pains in the lower abdo­men [19]. As the process is gradual, hemorrhage
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10 Uterine Rupture andPerforation
Table 10.1
during pregnancy [1316]
1. Traumatic rupture (a) Instrumental Uterine sound or curette Manual removal of placenta Various tools for legal or criminal abortion (b) Violence: direct or indirect (c) Obstetric Oxytocins, forceps, breech extraction Intrauterine manipulation: internal version,
Fundal pressure Hydrocephalus Neglect: cephalopelvic disproportion, transverse
2. Spontaneous rupture (a) Previous uterine surgery Cesarean section (scarred uterus) Myomectomy Salpingectomy Ventroxation Curettage or manual removal of the placenta (b) No previous surgery Congenital uterine abnormality Cornual pregnancy Hydatidiform mole or chorioadenoma destruens Placenta percreta Genetic susceptibility for rupture (Loeys–Dietz
Red degeneration of broid Chronic corticosteroid use IVF? No apparent cause
3. Combinations
Orgasmic uterine contractions
Classication of causes of uterine rupture
forceps rotation, shoulder dystocia
lie
syndrome)
is seldom severe. Characteristics include the following:
• Gradual rupture tends to occur toward the end of pregnancy. This may be accompanied by vague pain in the lower abdomen,
• After the onset of labor, bleeding may be of considerable severity,
• Prognosis will not be as favorable as type I and will depend mainly on the amount of intra-abdominal bleeding.
Type III The rupture occurs after a previous lower segment CS. Characteristics include the following:
• Rupture takes place during labor,
• Hemorrhage may occur due to the extension of the laceration laterally into the uterine arteries,
• The bladder may be involved, giving rise to hematuria.
Type IV The rupture is complete through an upper segment incision, and the child, within its bag of membranes, is expelled into the abdominal cavity, the placenta remaining in situ. The uterine scar sep­arates, the contractions persist, and the child is extruded into the abdominal cavity. The fetal heart sounds almost invariably disappear, and fetal move­ments cease. The uterus is pushed over to one side, and the child, oating in the abdominal cavity, is palpable. Characteristics include the following:
• Fetal heart sounds cease as a rule,
• Fetal movements usually stop,
• The uterus is pushed to one side,
• The fetus, lying free in the abdominal cavity, is easily palpable.
Type V The rupture is complete through an
upper segment incision, and the child, with its placenta, is extruded completely into the abdomi­nal cavity. Characteristics include the following:
• Often associated with severe intra-abdominal hemorrhage,
• Fetal heart sounds are absent,
• Fetal movements are absent,
• The uterus is pushed over to one side,
• The fetus, lying free in the abdominal cavity, is easily palpable.
10.1.3 Mechanisms
10.1.3.1 Scarred Uterus
Uterine Scar Rupture
Patients with uterine scars are more likely to have uterine scar rupture due to the attempted trial of labor and inadequate labor monitoring [20]. Most uterine dehiscences and ruptures in scarred uteri will occur via the uterine scar. The atrophic, inelas-
10.1 Spontaneous Uterine Rupture
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tic nature of the scar renders it less adaptive to forces in labor, predisposing it to rupture. Prostaglandins induce local biochemical modications that weaken the scar, predisposing it to rupture [21]. In the trial of labor, secondary inertia may indicate that a par­tial or complete UR has interfered with the mecha­nism of labor. The blocking of the neuromuscular impulses is caused by the break in the continuity of the muscle [22]. In women with scarred uteri, cata­strophic complete prelabor UR occurred mainly in scars outside the lower segment [23].
Atypical Site Rupture
A particularly rigid anterior lower segment may cause the abnormal distribution of force. The posterior wall may be excessively shortened and thinned during retraction due to the rigid anterior uterine scar, catalyzing atypical UR via healthy tissue. Any factor compromising uterine struc­tural integrity or causing abnormal force distribu­tion can precipitate UR. The site of UR is unpredictable and may be atypical.
The lower segment UR is the most common (60%) site of rupture [2427], with the anterior transverse location being the most common [28]. The second most common location is an extension to the broad ligament, and other locations have an incidence of around 5% [28]. Mostly there is no differentiation between UR caused by obstructed labor and scarred uterus. UR is complete in around 73% of cases and incomplete in 27% [24, 25, 27].
Posterior (posterolateral) UR complicating vaginal birth after low-transverse CS is rare [29
33]. Fetal malposition with an occipitoposterior
position contributes to posterior UR (Fig.10.5), as does malpresentation with a transverse lie [32,
33]. Malposition alters the distribution of con-
tractile force and increases labor dystocia; certain malpresentations cause uterine hyperdis­tension, which may precipitate atypical UR. Prostaglandins generate excessive uterine activity increasing the UR rate. Prostaglandins may cause excessive uterine activity, resulting in a posterior wall sacculation of a strong anterior scar [31]. During the second stage of labor, with the fetus undergoing cardinal movements, UR occurs through the weakened posterior wall. In 50%, prostaglandins induced labor, suggesting
255
Fig. 10.5 Vertical posterior rupture of the scarred uterus due to the occipitoposterior position of the fetus. (Reproduced with permission from [32])
other factors may play a role [33]. An inelastic scar comprising brous tissue on the anterior wall prevents the even distribution of contraction forces. As uterine muscle retracts during the active phase of labor, the healthy posterior wall may undergo excessive shortening and thinning compared to an inelastic anterior wall, which could predispose to rupture.
10.1.3.2 Unscarred Uterus
Obstruction as a cause of UR and the delay in accessing qualied care is found in developing counties with patients without antenatal care. The causes of UR during labor result from obstruc­tion of vaginal delivery, whether the obstruction is a pelvic contraction, unusual size of the child, or malpresentation. The uterus continues to con­tract, with thickening of the upper part, while its lower segment becomes thinned. Without assis­tance, the lower segment becomes increasingly thinned and nally ruptures.
The rupture of the unscarred uterus during labor almost always begins in the lower segment.
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10 Uterine Rupture andPerforation
A uterus emptied of its contents by their extru­sion into the peritoneal cavity may retract rmly, preventing bleeding from the placental site and the wound in the uterus. The fetus and placenta do not necessarily escape at once or at all. It is the most common cause of spontaneous UR, ranging from 68.5% to 73.2% [20, 34] in developing countries. In developed countries, it is signi­cantly lower, starting from 13% [35].
10.1.3.3 Simultaneous Uterus
andBladder Rupture
Simultaneous spontaneous UR and bladder rup­ture are common due to the same mechanism and location of obstruction and distension (see Sect.
28.3). It is more common with ruptures of uns-
carred uteri, which extend beyond the cervix [36].
10.1.4 Incidence
10.1.4.1 Developed vs. Undeveloped
Countries
The rate of spontaneous UR during the last 50years in developed countries has been increas­ing [37]. Table10.2 shows the differences in inci- dence between countries. Preterm UR in the unscarred uterus is extremely rare in developed countries but is rising (1/333.333) [23]. In the developed countries, in the scarred uterus, there is a similar incidence of complete ruptures (1/5556), partial ruptures (dehiscences) at elec­tive CS (1/5556), and partial ruptures at emer­gency prelabor CS (1/5263) [23].
Several issues arise with obtaining a true inci­dence. First, especially in Africa, registration of births occurring at home is incomplete, although the number of patients who deliver at home and only seek medical attention when problems occur decreases. Second, some maternal deaths occur in rural areas before hospital admission without known and registered causes of death. There are also signicant differences between regions in the same country. The incidence of 1/167–1/200 deliveries was found in Southwest Nigeria [42,
43, 72], while in Northwest Nigeria was more
than double (1/77 deliveries) [46, 47]. Third, because the health reforms policy of the govern-
Table 10.2 (Spontaneous) uterine rupture rates across the world (in decreasing incidence)
Country Incidence Ethiopia [34, 38] 1/38–1/175 Uganda [20, 39] 1/93–1/200 Pakistan [40] 1/100 Yemen [41] 1/159 Nigeria Southwest [28, 4244] 1/186–1/416 Rural [45] 1/112 Northwest [46, 47] 1/77 Guinea [48] 1/199 Morocco [49] 1/222 Sudan [50] 1/246 India [51, 52] 1/357–1/714 Kenya [53] 1/425 Libya [54] 1/585 Iraq (Basra) [55] 1/801 Turkey [56] 1/966 Saudi Arabia [57] 1/1011 Nepal [10] 1/1100 Australia [58] 1/1163 Zimbabwe [59] 1/1285 Rep. of South Africa [60] 1/1362 Trinidad [61] 1/1500 Netherlands [62] 1/1695 Bahrain [63] 1/2213 Tunis [14] 1/2581 Kuwait [64, 65] 1/1851–1/3333 Israel [66] 1/2802 Canada [67] 1/3333 Taiwan [68] 1/3871 Ireland [69] 1/4348 Qatar [70] 1/4968–1/6843 Singapore [71] 1/6331 United States [12] 1/8000–1/15,000 Norway [36] 1/10,000
ment in many countries prohibits refusal of admission of any medical emergency in all the
receive many labor complications that occur in the primary and secondary health facilities and private hospitals. Therefore, the accurate inci­dence distribution among hospitals is not known. Fourth, some studies report cumulatively sponta­neous (scarred and unscarred uterus) and some­times traumatic URs [43]. Reports from Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh indicated that about 75% of UR cases were associated with the unscarred uterus [73], while in Norway, UR asso­ciated with the unscarred uterus is 33% [36].
3.0
29000
Number of deliveries per year
Ruptured uterus rate per 1000 deli.
Year
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For developed countries, the available data indicate that the prevalence of UR for women with previous CS is 1%, whereas it is extremely rare for women without previous CS (<1/10,000). Overall, the rates are below 1/1000 [74].
10.1.4.2 Decade Dependency
The incidence is decade-dependent. The inci­dence of UR in the US between 1967 and 1978 was 1/1000–1/1500 deliveries, but spontaneous UR accounted for 25%, and only 17% of these occurred before the onset of labor [15]. After two decades, spontaneous rupture of the unscarred uterus ranged from 1/8000 to 1/15,000 deliveries [12, 75]. Due to the rarity of spontaneous UR, most studies have a study interval of around a decade to collect enough patients for analysis and comparison. With the progress of medicine and knowledge of the risk factors, the incidence is decreasing, but there are still signicant differ­ences between developed and undeveloped/ developing countries (Fig.10.6).
10.1.5 Risk Factors
Most spontaneous UR in undeveloped/develop­ing countries is due to rupture of the unscarred uterus secondary to neglected obstructed labor. In
contrast, CS scar/scarred uterus is the most com­mon cause in developed countries [72]. In devel­oped countries, the rupture of the unscarred uterus is several fold lower than that of scarred uterus involving 1/17,000–1/20,000 deliveries [24].
Some recommend a continuous infusion of tocolytics to prevent UR with risk factors present [77].
10.1.5.1 Scarred Uterus
Eardley Holland, in 1920, made the rst overview and found that 4% of Cesarean scars give way during a subsequent pregnancy or labor [78]. Previous CS is the most important predisposing factor for the occurrence of UR [79], and the so­called scarred uterus (uterine scars from any type of CS) is present in up to 65% of cases [57, 80]. It is conventionally attributed to the structural com­promise of the uterine scar, as depicted by the term “trial of the scar.” The rate of CS has risen from 5% in 1970 to 26% in 2002 despite improve­ment in nonoperative obstetric procedures [81]. Relevant to vaginal birth after CS (VBAC) in the USA is its increasing rate, from 3.4% in 1980 to 28% in 1996. With an eightfold increase in the VBAC rate, maternal and perinatal morbidity also increased, particularly UR.By 2007, the VBAC rate in the USA had fallen to 8.5%. The CS rate
Fig. 10.6 Comparison of the total number of deliveries in 1970–1973 and 1980–1983 with the rate of ruptured uterus per 1000 deliveries in those years in South Africa. The numbers for 1983 are a multiplication of the rst 6months. R.U. rupture of the uterus. (Reproduced with permission from [76])
2.8
2.6
2.4
2.2
2.0
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.0 1970 1980
No. of de
at
R
of del.
No.
l
e o
1971 1981
.
f
80-8
R
7
3
.U. 70-
0-83
7
28000
27000
26000
25000
3
R
a
t
e
o
f
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.
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.
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-
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1972 1982
1973 1983
24000
23000
22000
21000
20000
19000
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10 Uterine Rupture andPerforation
also reached an all-time high of 32% in 2007. In its recent guidelines on VBAC, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) adopted the recommendation not to restrict women’s access to VBAC [82]. This occurred after the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Panel reviewed the totality of the evidence concerning maternal and neonatal outcomes relating to VBAC [83]. UR affects 0.7–1.9% of women with previ- ous CS attempting a trial of labor [84]. The reported recurrence rate for UR is 4.8–19%, with the highest rates seen in women with a history of a ruptured upper uterine segment (classic scar). In these cases, planned CS is recommended [85].
Classic Cesarean Delivery
Classic CS via vertical midline uterine incision is currently infrequently performed and accounts for
0.5% of all births in the USA [86]. There is an
11.5% absolute risk of UR in women with classic vertical CS scars who underwent an unplanned trial of labor after CS (TOLAC) [87]. The UR rate for women with prior classical uterine CS scars was 0.64% for women who underwent repeat CS.All patients underwent repeat CS, but a high rate of preterm labor resulted in 49% being in labor during CS [86]. An absolute UR rate in women with a previous classic, inverted T, or J incision presented in advanced labor or refused repeat CS was 1.9% [88]. These rates of frank UR in women with classic CS contrast with the higher rates of 4–9% that the ACOG had historically reported for women with these types of uterine scars [89]. However, there is a 9% rate of asymp­tomatic uterine scar dehiscence [86]. This suggests that disruptions of uterine scars might have been misclassied as true UR instead of dehiscences.
Low-Vertical Cesarean Section
There is a 1.1% absolute risk of symptomatic UR in women undergoing a TOLAC with a low­vertical CS scar [88, 90]. Compared to women with low-transverse CS, there is no signicantly increased risk of UR or adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. Inconsistencies hamper the interpretation of how high the lower uterine seg­ment could be cut before it was considered a clas-
sic incision. Even when the lower uterine segment is already well developed due to active labor, a low-vertical incision of adequate length is often impossible to permit fetal delivery. The classic extension is arbitrarily dened as a 2cm exten­sion into the upper segment, and the overall rate of UR was 0.62%. This rate could be further divided as 1.15% for women who underwent a TOLAC compared with no UR among women who underwent elective repeat CS [90].
Unknown Uterine Scar
In many instances, the type of incision used for a prior CS cannot be conrmed due to the unavail­ability of the operative report. Under these cir­cumstances, the assessment of UR risk may sometimes be guided by the obstetric history to infer the most probable type of uterine scar. For example, a patient with a history of a preterm CS at 28weeks’ gestation has a much higher likeli­hood of having had a vertical uterine incision than a patient who underwent a CS to indicate the arrest of fetal descent at term. Probably because most CS in the USA is accomplished via low­transverse uterine incisions, the risk of UR with an unknown scar and previous low-transverse hysterotomy is similar. This logic depends on the high ratio of low-transverse to vertical incisions performed for CS.However, it ignores the varying probability that different types of uterine incisions are made under different obstetric circumstances and differences due to varying medical resources and the prevailing local practitioner practices in countries other than the USA. An estimated 20,000 African refugees enter the USA each year, 80% from countries where the upper uterine seg­ment CS is not an uncommon practice. The immi­gration of African refugees to Europe is becoming increasingly common. Nevertheless, most CS performed in the USA is accomplished via low­transverse uterine incisions.
Underpowered small case–control studies did not nd an association between an unknown uterine scar and UR risk [91, 92]. The Maternal-
Fetal Medicine Units Network Cesarean Delivery Registry reports a 0.5% risk of UR for patients
who underwent a TOLAC with an unknown uter­ine scar [88]. A small, randomized, controlled trial
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compared labor augmentation with oxytocin with no intervention in women with prior CS involving either one or two unknown uterine incisions. All uterine dehiscences and UR occurred in the group that underwent labor augmentation [93].
Low-Transverse Cesarean Section
The myometrium from the scarred low uterine segment has a higher collagen content than the unscarred myometrium from laboring women but not unscarred myometrium from nonlaboring women [94]. The UR risk after a low-transverse CS varies depending on whether patients undergo a TOLAC or an elective repeat CS, whether labor is induced or spontaneous, and other factors. Today, the vast majority of CS is of the low­transverse type. Examining the various risk fac­tors for UR is instructive for women with one previous CS. CS has potential complications, including an increased risk of placenta previa and accreta with every subsequent repeat CS, result­ing in higher rates of peripartum hysterectomy [95]. The trend of an increasing rate of UR with increasing maternal age was noted [96, 97]. Age­related decreases in myometrial strength [98] and defective wound healing [99] could contribute.
Cesarean Section Without aSubsequent Trial ofLabor
The spontaneous UR rate among women with a single CS scar who underwent scheduled repeat CS without a TOLAC is 0.16% [100]. The uteri with CS scars have an intrinsic propensity for the UR that exceeds that of the unscarred organ dur­ing pregnancy, which is 0.012% (OR 12). Therefore, all other UR rates in women with a previous CS should be referenced to this expected baseline rate.
Cesarean Section withSubsequent Augmentation ofLabor
There is a wide variance in the frequency of clinical use of oxytocin and the dose and dosing schedules. As a result, there is a paucity of specic evidence­based clinical guidelines for using oxytocin in VBAC trials. UR rate in women who underwent oxytocin augmentation of labor after a previous CS was 0.9–1.4%, compared with 0.34–0.4% in women who underwent a trial of spontaneous labor (two­fold to fourfold increased risk) [83, 102]. Others claim that labor augmentation with oxytocin does not increase the risk for UR in the scarred or uns­carred uterus [101, 103]. However, the conclusions to be drawn from this are both limited. Therefore, the duration of labor and not oxytocin use itself may predispose the patient with or without a uterine scar to rupture. The problem in some studies from devel­oping countries is the high percentage of its use;
41.7% of the respondents were given this drug (all but one had it through IV infusion) [41]. Oxytocin was used to augment prolonged and obstructed labor rather than for active labor management, con­cluding that supervision and control over this drug are missing. In this regard, assessing the safety of oxytocin use in VBAC trials must consider both the dosage and exposure time. At an intravenous oxyto­cin dosage range of 6–20 mU/min, a more than threefold increased risk of UR was associated with oxytocin use. At a dosage range of more than 20mU/min, a nearly fourfold increased risk of UR was noted. The attributable risk associated with oxytocin use was 2.9–3.6% for the maximum oxy­tocin dose ranges of more than 20 mU/min and more than 30mU/min. There was no signicant risk association between time (in terms of both duration of oxytocin exposure and duration of labor) and UR risk [104].
Cesarean Section withSubsequent Spontaneous Labor
The UR rate among women with a single previ­ous CS who labored spontaneously during a sub­sequent singleton pregnancy is 0.45–0.72% [100,
101]. This rate of UR implies an increased rela-
tive risk of 3–4 for women who labor spontane­ously compared with women who undergo elective repeat CS.
The upper limit of 20mU/min of oxytocin
for use in VBAC trials is recommended
with monitoring of oxytocin for both labor
augmentation and induction.
Newer studies claim that labor induction and augmentation of labor have similar UR risks