Peripartum Hysterectomy

Peripartum or obstetric hysterectomy is the removal of the corpus uteri alone or with the cervix at the time of a cesarean section, or shortly after a vaginal delivery. It is a challenging but life-saving obstetric procedure. The removal of the uterus at cesarean section is referred to as cesarean hysterectomy while the removal after vaginal birth is called postpartum hysterectomy [1]. Peripartum hysterectomy is reserved for situations in which severe obstetric hemorrhage fails to respond to conservative treatment [2,3]. It is therefore unplanned and must be performed expeditiously usually in patients that are generally in less than ideal condition to withstand anesthesia and trauma of surgery. It has been described as one of the riskiest and most dramatic operations in modern obstetrics[2,4,5]. It is therefore associated with significant maternal morbidity and mortality.