Severe perineal lacerations in induction of labor versus expectant management: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate if induction of labor (IOL) is associated with an increased risk of severe perineal laceration. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, Ovid, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINHAL using a combination of keywords and text words related to "induction of labor," "severe perineal laceration," "third-degree laceration," "fourth-degree laceration," and "OASIS" from inception of each database until January 2023. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing IOL to expectant management of a singleton, cephalic pregnancy at term gestation that reported rates of severe perineal laceration. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS AND METHODS: The primary outcome of interest was severe perineal laceration, defined as 3rd- or 4th-degree perineal lacerations. We conducted meta-analyses using the random effects model of DerSimonian and Laird to determine the relative risks (RR) or mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Bias was assessed using guidelines established by Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. RESULTS: A total of 11,187 unique records were screened and ultimately eight RCTs were included, involving 13,297 patients. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of severe perineal lacerations between the IOL and expectant management groups (209/6655 [3.1%] vs 202/6641 [3.0%]; RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.85, 1.26). There was a statistically significant decrease in the rate of cesarean birth (1090/6655 [16.4%] vs 1230/6641 [18.5%], RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82, 0.95) and fetal macrosomia (734/2696 [27.2%] vs 964/2703 [35.7%]; RR 0.67: 95% CI 0.50, 0.90) in the IOL group. CONCLUSION: There is no significant difference in the risk of severe perineal lacerations between IOL and expectant management in this meta-analysis of RCTs. Furthermore, there is a lower rate of cesarean births in the IOL group, indicating more successful vaginal deliveries with similar rates of severe perineal lacerations. Patients should be counseled that in addition to the known benefits of induction, there is no increased risk of severe perineal lacerations.

Incarcerated Gravid Uterus Liberated by Placement of a Vaginal Balloon.

BACKGROUND: Incarceration of the gravid uterus is an infrequent obstetric complication that can cause severe complications. CASE: A 37-year-old woman, G3P2002, at 14 weeks of gestation presented with vomiting, back pain, and urinary retention. She was noted to be in acute renal failure, with a creatinine level of 9.24 mg/dL, and results of her physical examination were concerning for uterine incarceration. Passive maneuvers and manual pressure failed to resolve the incarceration. Under spinal anesthesia, a Bakri balloon was inflated in the posterior vagina, elevating the fundus and relieving the incarcerated uterus. CONCLUSION: An intravaginal balloon may aid in the alleviation of uterine incarceration.

Timing of radiation therapy in nipple-sparing mastectomy influences outcomes and patient-reported quality of life.

The aim of this study is to assess the complication profile and impact on patient-reported quality of life in those undergoing nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) with immediate breast reconstruction and subsequent prosthetic reconstruction in patients with prior breast radiation therapy (pRT) vs those receiving adjuvant post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT). An IRB-approved, retrospective analysis was performed from 2002 to 2014 to identify NSM patients that underwent pRT or PMRT. A 22-item Likert scale questionnaire was administered by a third party to register patient-reported quality of life. Forty patients met criteria for outcomes analysis, and 30 patients answered the questionnaire. Mean age was 45.6 years old and mean follow-up was 3.8 years. Complication rates for the PMRT cohort were 61.9% vs 31.6% in the pRT cohort, P = .067, and those requiring operative intervention were PMRT 38.1% vs pRT 5.3%, P = .021. Nipple-areolar complex survival was 100% in the pRT vs 85.7% in the PMRT, P = .233. Breast-related quality of life scores were superior in the pRT group within multiple domains. Patients are more likely to develop complications requiring an operative intervention and have decreased breast-related quality of life when undergoing NSM with PMRT compared to patients undergoing NSM having received pRT.