Evaluation of incision healing status after transverse uterine fundal incision for cesarean delivery and postoperative pregnancy: a ten-year single-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Transverse uterine fundal incision (TUFI) is a beneficial procedure for mothers and babies at risk due to placenta previa-accreta, and has been implemented worldwide. However, the risk of uterine rupture during a subsequent pregnancy remains unclear. We therefore evaluated the TUFI wound scar to determine the approval criteria for pregnancy after this surgery. METHODS: Between April 2012 and August 2022, we performed TUFI on 150 women. Among 132 of the 150 women whose uteruses were preserved after TUFI, 84 women wished to conceive again. The wound healing status, scar thickness, and resumption of blood flow were evaluated in these women by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and sonohysterogram at 12 months postoperatively. Furthermore, TUFI scars were directly observed during the Cesarean sections in women who subsequently conceived. RESULTS: Twelve women were lost to follow-up and one conceived before the evaluation, therefore 71 cases were analyzed. MRI scans revealed that the "scar thickness", the thinnest part of the scar compared with the normal surrounding area, was ≥ 50% in all cases. The TUFI scars were enhanced in dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI except for four women. However, the scar thickness in these four patients was greater than 80%. Twenty-three of the 71 women conceived after TUFI and delivered live babies without notable problems until August 2022. Their MRI scans before pregnancy revealed scar thicknesses of 50-69% in two cases and ≥ 70% in the remaining 21 cases. And resumption of blood flow was confirmed in all patients except two cases whose scar thickness ≥ 90%. No evidence of scar healing failure was detected at subsequent Cesarean sections, but partial thinning was found in two patients whose scar thicknesses were 50-69%. In one woman who conceived seven months after TUFI and before the evaluation, uterine rupture occurred at 26 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSIONS: Certain criteria, including an appropriate suture method, delayed conception for at least 12 months, evaluation of the TUFI scar at 12 months postoperatively, and cautious postoperative management, must all be met in order to approve a post-TUFI pregnancy. Possible scar condition criteria for permitting a subsequent pregnancy could include the scar thickness being ≥ 70% of the surrounding area on MRI scans, at least partially resumed blood flow, and no abnormalities on the sonohysterogram. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered.

A novel extraperitoneal cesarean section of supravesical approach: Operative techniques.

AIM: We have established a novel extraperitoneal cesarean section technique by supravesical approach. An advantage of this technique over the conventional paravesical approach is that the lower uterine segment is broadly exposed and that all operative procedures can be performed under direct vision. We present the details of this novel technique. METHODS: The bladder and the peritoneum are exposed by removing the transversalis and extraperitoneal fasciae. Subsequently, a triangular area between the median umbilical ligament, the peritoneum, and the bladder is exposed. The median umbilical ligament is dissected at this site. Bladder dissection from the peritoneum is also initiated from this area and proceeds toward the lower uterine segment. RESULTS: Operative times for pelvic fascia dissection and bladder removal from the peritoneal surface are currently around 15-25 min. During the process of development of this technique, there have been no bladder injuries in 501 patients that caused urine leakage. DISCUSSION: The supravesical approach has been considered difficult due to the strong adhesion between the perivesical fascia and the peritoneum at the bladder fundus. In this paper, we show how to safely remove the bladder fundus from the peritoneum. The bladder can then be easily lowered down toward the lower uterine segment. Although this technique allows the lower uterine segment to be broadly exposed and all operative procedures can be performed under direct vision, a disadvantage is the comparatively long time currently required to perform it. CONCLUSIONS: This technique could be a valuable option for extraperitoneal cesarean section, but disadvantages must also be considered.

Colporrhaphy using elastic tissue continuous with and obscured behind the fibromuscular layer of the vaginal wall.

AIM: Due to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's order to cease the use of surgical mesh for transvaginal repair, an improvement of the native tissue repair (NTR) of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) could become important as one of the first-line operative methods. This study details the surgical technique of an NTR method we developed, with report of our 5 years of experience. METHODS: Operative technique: A new fibromuscular layer (FL) was constructed using a thick and elastic tissue continuous with and obscured behind the original FL of the vaginal wall. PATIENTS: Between April 2017 and March 2020, we performed our novel repair technique on 87 women with POP of either quantification stage III or IV. RESULTS: We followed up 80 of the 87 women for over 24 months up to 60 months (follow-up rate: 91.2%). POP recurred (defined as stage II or higher) in four patients (5.0%). Operation time was 49-70 min. The bleeding volume was 70-250 g. There were no intra- or postoperative complications that required further treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This procedure could potentially become one of the first-line operative methods for repairing POP.

Difficult maintenance of serum drug concentration in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus toxic shock syndrome during early puerperium.

Toxic shock syndrome can be caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). During puerperium this condition is rare, and proper treatment during this period has not been clarified. Two patients developed toxic shock syndrome caused by MRSA soon after cesarean section. Despite the administration of antibiotics, both developed severe conditions and one of them required hysterectomy. The dosage was adjusted in the same way as nonpregnancy, but the actual drug concentration was significantly different from expectation. When there is severe infection during the early postpartum period, maintaining drug concentration at optimal levels may be difficult, and this could be life-threatening. Better understanding of the pharmacokinetics and establishment of a method to determine the optimal drug dose during puerperium is required.

Minimizing abdominal incision for transverse uterine fundal incision by aspiration of amniotic fluid and reduction of uterine size.

AIM: Transverse uterine fundal incision (TUFI) was developed to avoid catastrophic hemorrhage associated with cesarean section of the placenta previa-accreta. Abdominal incisions extend as far as the upper abdomen in patients in the third trimester of pregnancy and require general anesthesia. Instead, we tried to aspirate amniotic fluid (AF) to reduce the uterine size. METHODS: TUFI was performed in 19 of our patients in the third trimester in whom placenta previa accreta could not be ruled out between June 2012 and August 2016. After the lower abdominal vertical incision, we attempted to exteriorize the uterine fundus. If this was impossible, we inserted an 18-gauge spinal needle into the amniotic space. We aspirated AF until the uterine fundus could be exteriorized. RESULTS: We exteriorized the uterine fundus without extending the incision to the upper abdomen by aspirating 250-670 mL of AF in 12 patients who were between the 33rd and 37th week of pregnancy, and TUFI was performed under spinal anesthesia. AF aspiration was not required in four patients who were in the 30th or 31st week of pregnancy and in two patients with oligohydramnios in the 35th week of pregnancy. In one case, the trial was canceled due to hemorrhagic AF aspiration. No serious complications were observed in mothers or neonates. CONCLUSION: TUFI could be made by abdominal incision to the left of the umbilicus under spinal anesthesia without anesthesia by reducing the uterine size through AF aspiration, even for patients in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Complete rupture of unscarred uterus with delayed symptoms: Case report and possible mechanism.

Uterine ruptures typically occur suddenly, have obvious symptoms, and may require urgent treatment. We experienced a case of complete rupture of an unscarred uterus that was undetected for 9 days. We report the clinical course and possible factors that led to it. Nine days after delivery, complete rupture of the posterior uterine wall was diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging. The colon and ovaries were tightly adhered to the posterior uterine body. When this adhesive lesion was detached, 7 cm horizontal defects of the muscular layer were revealed. The ruptured wound was repaired. Magnetic resonance imaging 1 year postoperatively showed no thinning of the repaired lesion and suggested successful reperfusion. Mild clinical course despite complete uterine rupture was presumably because of adhesion of the ovaries and intestines to the rupture site.

Treatment strategy for failed repair of uterine rupture: Cleansing an abscess via the cervical Canal.

We present a new, conservative treatment strategy for the cases in which an initial repair surgery of uterine rupture failed. In a case presented here, the patient underwent a repair surgery for the uterine rupture that became apparent 4 days after the cesarean delivery, but a part of the wound did not heal and an abscess formed in the surrounding area. The patient had purulent discharge from vagina, which led us to try to insert a Nelaton tube from vagina via cervical canal and to cleanse the abscess cavity. This procedure was successful and the abscess disappeared 38 days later, allowing the healing of the ruptured wound. The patient could deliver a baby 2 years later. Even if the initial repair treatment fails, a possibility of preserving the uterus should be considered for next pregnancy. One of the concrete treatment strategies for this purpose was presented.

A disadvantage of cesarean section en caul: Umbilical velamentous insertion, a risk factor and proposed mechanism of neonatal anemia.

Cesarean section en caul could cause neonatal anemia, but the mechanism remains unknown. We demonstrate an association between neonatal anemia and velamentous insertion of the umbilical cord in cesarean section en caul, and suggest a way to make this procedure safer. We performed cesarean section en caul, but the placenta and the membrane sac were delivered separately. The neonate was severely anemic. The umbilical cord was attached to the membrane and the blood vessel connecting the umbilical cord and placenta was torn. The amniotic membrane covering the placental surface had peeled away. Velamentous insertion of the umbilical cord could be a cause of neonatal anemia associated with cesarean section en caul.

Bleeding in the retroperitoneal space under the broad ligament as a result of uterine perforation after dilatation and curettage: Report of a case.

Uterine perforation, a complication of dilation and curettage, is typically recognized immediately after the procedure by clinical symptoms of peritoneal irritation resulting from intraperitoneal bleeding. Our patient complained of having an uncomfortable feeling, slight dizziness, palpitation in the sitting position and abdominal discomfort but did not show signs of peritoneal irritation 24 h after dilation and curettage. However, she suddenly complained of abdominal pain. Tenderness and rebound tenderness were detected at the lower abdominal wall. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging suggested uterine perforation. When the abdominal cavity was opened, a hematoma under the broad ligament of the uterus, laceration of the side wall of the uterine cervix and a small amount of bloody ascites and small clots in the abdominal cavity were observed. The uterine cervical wall was sutured. Physicians should postpone discharge and observe the clinical course carefully when a patient complains of inexplicable discomfort after dilation and curettage.

Management strategy of umbilical artery aneurysm complicated by cardiac anomaly: case study and literature review.

OBJECTIVE: Key considerations for managing an umbilical artery aneurysm (UAA) are a timely termination and the prevention of rupture of the UAA during delivery. Herein, we propose a treatment strategy based on our experience of UAA complicated by a fetal cardiac anomaly. CASE: A case of UAA was referred to our hospital at 23 weeks of gestation. The UAA increased its size to 6 cm. The blood reservoir within the UAA was presumed to be equivalent to the circulating blood volume of the fetus. At 28 weeks, small echogenic components suspected to be hematomas appeared in the umbilical vein, and the umbilical interstitial substance became edematous. An improvement in the fetus' condition could not be expected unless the UAA size was smaller. Thus, a cesarean delivery was performed at 30 weeks during which the UAA ruptured. The baby was anemic, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and later died. CONCLUSION: We present an assessment of a large blood reservoir within an UAA that may indicate the likelihood of high-output cardiac failure of the fetus. Either a classical cesarean section or a transverse uterine fundal incision should be performed when the UAA size is greater than 5 cm to prevent rupture of the UAA.

Management of severe pregnancy-induced hypertension after 34 weeks of gestation: A prospective study to reduce the rate of cesarean section.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to reduce the rate of cesarean section (CS) in severe pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) by introducing a set of indicative criteria for CS. METHODS: Labor induction was attempted in Japanese patients (n = 41) with severe PIH after 34 weeks of gestation. Vital signs and symptoms that may increase the risk of serious complications were defined. Following the appearance of one or more signs or symptoms, labor induction was suspended and CS was performed. The impact of using specific indicative criteria was evaluated by comparing the CS rate among patients who delivered before and after the criteria were introduced. RESULTS: Labor induction was attempted in 36 of 41 patients. Among the 36 patients in whom vaginal delivery was started, 12 patients required CS, and the remaining 24 patients succeeded in vaginal delivery. The introduction of specific indicative criteria for CS was associated with a significant reduction in the CS rate, from 95% (43/45) to 41% (17/41). CONCLUSIONS: Unnecessary CS may be avoided by defining the limits of safe labor induction.

Twin pregnancy in a 51-year-old woman who underwent autologous cryopreservation at the age of 36 years: case report.

Climacteric women are able to become pregnant using oocytes donated earlier in life. However, adverse effects on such donated oocytes have been identified. We report a case of a successful dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy achieved using autologous fertilized cryopreserved oocytes in a climacteric woman. A 51-year-old woman became pregnant using autologous fertilized oocytes that had been frozen for 15 years. On her first visit, multiple leiomyoma of the uterus and gestational diabetes mellitus were diagnosed, and proteinuria began to appear at 30 weeks. In spite of our concerns these complications did not exacerbate and the clinical course for both mother and neonates was favorable. This is the first report of a live twin birth achieved using autologous cryopreserved oocytes in a climacteric woman. This case report may be of value to women who desire postponement of their infertility treatment and the professional assisted reproduction community.

Cardiac tamponade in pregnancy during the treatment of severe pre-eclampsia: report of a case.

We present a case of cardiac tamponade that occurred during the course of treatment for severe pre-eclampsia. A 37-year-old woman who underwent cesarean section for severe pre-eclampsia developed cardiac tamponade after delivery. While percutaneous pericardiocentesis temporarily improved her condition, pericardial effusion, dyspnea and tachycardia reappeared 5 days after delivery. A continuous drainage tube placed in the pericardial cavity for 5 days was required to maintain maternal cardiac function. Her clinical course was uneventful after continuous drainage and she was discharged 20 days after delivery. No such causes of symptomatic pericardial effusion were detected in the present case. Physicians should be aware of this complication when dyspnea is accompanied by tachycardia and enlargement of the cardiac silhouette with hypolucent lungs on chest X-ray. Immediate pericardiocentesis is also required to prevent life-threatening cardiac tamponade in such cases.

Adenocarcinoma arising from vaginal stump: unusual vaginal carcinogenesis 7 years after hysterectomy due to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Primary vaginal adenocarcinomas are one of the rarest malignant neoplasms, which develop in the female genital tract. Because of the extremely low incidence, their clinical and pathologic characteristics are still obscure. Recently, we experienced a case of vaginal adenocarcinoma that appeared 7 yr after hysterectomy because of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The patient, a 65-yr-old obese woman, was diagnosed as having adenocarcinoma in the vaginal stump and was treated by simple tumor excision and radiation. Immunohistochemical and molecular biologic examinations indicated a potential association with human papilloma virus infection in the development of the vaginal adenocarcinoma. There has been no evidence of recurrence for 3 yr after the operation.

Lack of association between endometriosis and the CYP17 MspA1 polymorphism in UK and Japanese populations.

Endometriosis is a complex trait, which means that multiple susceptibility genes interact with one another and the environment to produce the phenotype. One of the genes previously implicated in the disease is CYP17; this encodes the enzyme P450c17alpha, which plays a vital role in steroid biosynthesis in the ovary. The presence of a single nucleotide polymorphism (T-->C) in the 5'-promoter region of the gene creates a new recognition site for the restriction enzyme MspA1 producing a mutant allele (A2), which affects circulating estrogen levels. In this study, we compared the frequency of the CYP17 MspA1 polymorphism in two different ethnic populations. DNA was obtained from (1) 94 women with revised American Fertility Society (rAFS) stage III-IV endometriosis and 97 male blood donors in the UK, and (2) 130 women with rAFS stage III-IV endometriosis and 179 female newborn infants in Japan. No significant differences in allele or genotype frequencies were seen in either population. The genotype distribution in the UK population was 33/94 [35.1%] (cases) and 39/97 [40.2%] (controls) for A1A1 (homozygous wild-type); 43/94 [45.7%] (cases) and 44/97 [45.4%] (controls) for A1A2; and 18/94 [19.1%] (cases) and 14/97 [14.4%] (controls) for A2A2. The genotype distribution in the Japanese population was 31/130 [23.9%] (cases) and 57/179 [31.8%] (controls) for A1A1; 73/130 [56.2%] (cases) and 89/179 [49.7%] (controls) for A1A2; and 26/130 [20.0%] (cases) and 33/179 [18.4%] (controls) for A2A2. The CYP17 MspA1 polymorphism is probably not associated with endometriosis in either the UK or the Japanese population.

Effects of combined estriol/pravastatin therapy on intima-media thickness of common carotid artery in hyperlipidemic postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Several studies show that 17beta-estradiol (E2) has protective effects on atherosclerosis in the arterial wall in postmenopausal women. Little information is, however, available regarding the effect of estriol (E3) on atherosclerosis. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of E3 alone and combined E3/pravastatin therapy on intima-media thickness (IMT) of common carotid artery in postmenopausal women. METHODS: Thirty-three postmenopausal women were allocated to four groups: daily treatment with E3 (2 mg) alone (E3 group, n = 10), pravastatin (10 mg) alone (pravastatin group, n = 6), combined treatment with E3 (2 mg) and pravastatin (10 mg; E3/pravastatin group, n = 7) and untreated control group (n = 10). All women attended the Kobe University Hospital once a year for routine gynecological and ultrasonographic examinations for the evaluation of atherosclerosis. RESULTS: A significant decrease in IMT was noted in the E3/pravastatin group compared with that in the untreated control group (p < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in the reduction rate of IMT in the pravastatin group, E3 group and untreated control group. CONCLUSIONS: The combined E3/pravastatin therapy appeared to retard the progression of atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women.

Effects of 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine on the invasive potential and the expression of integrins and matrix metalloproteinases in cultured early placental extravillous trophoblasts.

It is well known that T(3) plays a crucial role in the maintenance of early pregnancy through the induction of endocrine function in villous trophoblasts. The effects of T(3) on extravillous trophoblast (EVT) function, however, remain to be elucidated. To investigate the possible role of T(3) in the regulation of EVT invasion to the decidua, we have examined whether T(3) affects EVT invasive potential and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-3, tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1, fetal fibronectin (FN), and integrin alpha(5)beta(1) in cultured early placental EVTs. Isolation and purification of trophoblasts differentiating into EVTs were performed by the enzymatic digestion of the anchoring chorionic villi, with the use of human FN-precoated culture dishes and FN-precoated Matrigel Transwells. The cells attached to the dishes were subcultured in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum for 48 h and were characterized by RT-PCR analysis after 24-h subculture and immunocytochemical analysis after 48-h subculture for specific EVT markers. Thereafter, the cultured cells were stepped down to a 4% fetal bovine serum condition and cultured in the presence or absence of T(3) (10(-8) m) for the subsequent 72 h. Matrigel invasion assay demonstrated that the treatment with T(3) significantly increased the number of cell projections of subsequent 24-, 48-, and 72-h cultured EVTs. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the treatment with T(3) increased the expression of MMP-2, MMP-3, fetal FN, and integrin alpha(5)beta(1) mRNA in subsequent 24-h cultured EVTs compared with those in control cultures. Immunocytochemical and Western immunoblot analyses revealed that treatment with T(3) increased the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-3 in subsequent 48-h cultured EVTs compared with those in control cultures. The present results suggest that T(3) (10(-8) m) may play a vital role in up-regulating the invasive potential of EVTs into the decidua.