Investigation of the Prognosis of 28 Patients with Retained Placenta After Delivery

A retained placenta after delivery can lead to bleeding and infection or other serious complications. There are 2 approaches for managing this condition: one is observation until spontaneous expulsion or resorption of the placenta, the other is active intervention such as manual removal, dilation and evacuation, uterine artery embolization, and hysterectomy. In this study, we investigated cases of retained placenta in our institution. We reviewed cases of retained placenta treated in our institution to investigate the associated risk factors and provide indications for its clinical management. 28 patients with retained placenta were treated in our institution from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2012. Clinical background, management, and prognosis were retrospectively reviewed. Induced or augmented labor, primipara, pregnancy after reproductive technology and post-term delivery after 41 weeks were found to be risk factors for retained placenta in this study. Patients with severe complications showed a significantly larger maximum diameter of the retained placenta than those without serious complications. Patients showing partial retention of the placenta with a maximum diameter < 3 cm are at a reduced risk of serious complications and should be managed by observation.