One-step conservative surgery vs hysterectomy for placenta accreta spectrum: a feasibility randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Placenta accreta spectrum is a serious condition associated with significant maternal morbidity and even mortality. The recommended treatment is hysterectomy. An alternative is 1-step conservative surgery, which involves the en bloc resection of the myometrium affected by placenta accreta spectrum along with the placenta, followed by uterine reconstruction. Currently, there are no studies comparing the 2 techniques in the setting of a randomized controlled trial. OBJECTIVE: We performed a prospectively registered multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing hysterectomy with 1-step conservative surgery. The aim was to collect feasibility and clinical outcomes of the 2 techniques in women assigned to hysterectomy or 1-step conservative surgery. In addition to assessing participants' willingness to be randomized, we also collected data on intraoperative blood loss, transfusion requirement, serious adverse event, and other clinical outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty women with strong antenatal suspicion of placenta accreta spectrum were assigned randomly to either hysterectomy (n=31) or 1-step conservative surgery (n=29). RESULTS: During a 20-month period, 60 of the 64 eligible patients (93.7%) underwent randomization. Intention-to-treat analysis showed that the clinical outcomes for 1-step conservative surgery were comparable to those of hysterectomy (median intraoperative blood loss, 1740 mL [interquartile range, 1010-2410] vs 1500 mL [interquartile range, 1122-2753]; odds ratio, 1 [1-1]; P=.942; median duration of surgery, 135 minutes [interquartile range, 111-180] vs 155 minutes [interquartile range, 120-185]; odds ratio, 0.99 [0.98-1]; P=.151; transfusion rate, 58.6% vs 61.3%; odds ratio, 0.96 [0.83-1.76]; P=.768; and adverse event rate, 17.2% vs 9.7%; odds ratio, 1.77 [0.43-10.19]; P=.398; respectively). In the subgroup of women with type 1 class on topographic classification, all participants allocated to 1-step surgery had successful outcomes, which were superior to those of hysterectomy. This was evidenced by the shorter surgery duration (median, 125 [interquartile range, 98-128] vs 180 [129-226] minutes; P=.002), lower transfusion rates (46.2% vs 82.4%), and fewer units of red blood cells transfused (median, 1 [interquartile range, 1-1.8] vs 3 [interquartile range, 2-4] units; P=.007). CONCLUSION: A randomized controlled trial comparing 2 surgical techniques for the treatment of placenta accreta spectrum is feasible. One-step conservative repair is a valid alternative to hysterectomy in the large majority of cases, but this can only be ascertained following intraoperative surgical staging. El resumen está disponible en Español al final del artículo.

Placenta accreta spectrum with severe morbidity: fibrosis associated with cervical-trigonal invasion.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the clinical-surgical results of patients with PAS in the low-posterior cervical-trigonal space associated with fibrosis (PAS type 4) compared with PAS types in other locations (Types 1, upper bladder, 2 in upper parametrium) and in particular with PAS type 3, corresponding to dissectible cervical-trigonal invasion. The clinical-surgical results of using a standard hysterectomy were analyzed with a modified subtotal hysterectomy (MSTH) in patients with PAS type 4. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive, retrospective, multicenter study included 337 patients of PAS; thirty-two corresponding to PAS type 4, from three PAS reference hospitals, CEMIC, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fundación Valle de Lili, Cali, Colombia, and Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, between January 2015 and December 2020. PAS was diagnosed by abdominal and transvaginal ultrasound and topographically characterized by ultrafast T2 weighted MRI. In persistent macroscopic hematuria after MSTH, the surgeon performs an intentional cystotomy and uses a square compression suture to achieve the hemostasis inside the bladder wall.According to a PAS topographical classification, the patients with low-vesical cervical involvement compared with PAS located in relation with the upper blader (type1), upper parametrium (type 2 upper), and also with PAS situated in the lower vesical-trigon space (type 3). PAS 3 and 4 are located in identical area, but in type 3, group A, the vesicouterine space was dissectible, and in type 4, group B, significant fibrosis made surgical dissection extremely challenging. Furthermore, group B was divided into patients treated with total hysterectomy (HT) and those treated with a modified subtotal hysterectomy (MSTH). The surgical requirements to perform an MSHT included the availability of proximal vascular control at the aortic level (internal manual aortic compression, aortic endovascular balloon, aortic loop, or aortic cross-clamping). Then surgeon performed an upper segmental hysterotomy, avoiding the abnormal placenta invasion area; after that, the fetus was delivered, and the umbilical cord was ligated.After uterine exteriorization, the surgeon applies a continuous circular suture with number 2 polyglactin 910, taking some portions of the myometrium -to avoid unintentional slipping- around the lower uterine segment and a 3-4 cm proximal to the abnormal adhesion of the placenta. After tightening hard the circular suture, the uterine segment was circumferentially cut, three centimeters proximal to the circular hemostatic sutures. Next, the surgery follows the upper steps of conventional hysterectomy without changes. Additionally, the histological presence of fibrosis was examined in all samples. RESULTS: Modified subtotal hysterectomy in patients with PAS type 4 (cervical-trigonal fibrosis) resulted in a significant clínico-surgical improvement over total hysterectomy. The median operative time and intraoperative bleeding were 140 min (IQR 90--240) and 1895 mL (IQR 1300-2500) in patients undergoing modified subtotal hysterectomy, and 260 min (IQR 210-287) and 2900 mL (IQR 2150-5500) in patients treated with total hysterectomy, respectively. The complication rate was 20% for MSHT and 82.3% for patients with a total hysterectomy. CONCLUSIONS: PAS in the cervical trigonal area associated with fibrosis implies a greater risk of complications due to uncontrollable bleeding and organ damage. MSTH is associated with lower morbidity and difficulties in PAS type 4. Prenatal or intrasurgical diagnosis is essential to plan surgical alternatives to improve the results.

How to identify patients who require aortic vascular control in placenta accreta spectrum disorders?

BACKGROUND: The placenta accreta spectrum disorder may lead to severe complications. Helpful interventions to prevent placenta accreta spectrum bleeding include vascular control procedures in the aorta or pelvic vessels. Although these procedures are related to lower intraoperative bleeding, they are associated with complications, so the possibility of selecting patients at highest risk of bleeding while avoiding vascular procedures for all cases is attractive. OBJECTIVE: We describe an intraoperative staging protocol whose objective is to identify the need to use vascular control procedures in patients with placenta accreta spectrum. We also describe the results of its application in a placenta accreta spectrum referral hospital. STUDY DESIGN: This descriptive, retrospective study included patients with suspected prenatal placenta accreta spectrum treated at a referral center for placenta accreta spectrum between April 2016 and June 2020. The use of the resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta allowed the prevention and treatment of excessive bleeding; its application was performed according to 3 approaches: (1) presurgical use in all placenta accreta spectrum patients (Group 1), (2) according to the prenatal placenta accreta spectrum topography (Group 2), and (3) according to the "intraoperative staging" (Group 3). In addition, the frequency of use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta and the clinical results in the management of placenta accreta spectrum were described in the 3 groups. RESULTS: Seventy patients underwent surgery for a prenatal suspicion of placenta accreta spectrum. Of these, 16 underwent intraoperative staging (Group 3); in 20 cases, resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta was used based on the prenatal imaging topographic classification (Group 2), and in the remaining 34 patients (Group 1), it was always used before the laparotomy. The frequency of use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta was progressively lower in Groups 1 (32 patients, 94.1% of cases), 2 (11 patients, 75% of cases), and 3 (4 patients, 25% of cases). Similarly, resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta went from being applied predominantly before the laparotomy (all cases in Group 1) to being applied after intraoperative staging (all cases in Group 3). The percentage of endovascular devices applied but not used, decreased from 23.5% in Group 1 to 0% in Group 3. Complications related to the resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta were seen in 4 patients (2 women in Group 1, and 1 woman each in Groups 2 and 3). CONCLUSION: The "intraoperative staging" of placenta accreta spectrum allows the optimization of the use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta, which decreases the frequency of its use without increasing the volume of blood loss.