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Cesarean scar imaging and prediction of subsequent obstetric complications
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. michael.varner@hsc.utah.edu
It has long been hoped that cesarean hysterotomy scar imaging data could predict obstetric complications in subsequent pregnancies with sufficient precision to be used for clinical decision-making. Although large visualized defects in nonpregnant uteri, and thinning of the lower uterine segment late in subsequent pregnancies, may be associated with increased risk of uterine rupture, the paucity of available clinical correlation data still preclude any clinical utility. There is an ongoing need for prospective adequately powered registries that include clinical factors related to the previous cesarean deliveries that can inform subsequent practice decisions.
It has long been hoped that cesarean hysterotomy scar imaging data could predict obstetric complications in subsequent pregnancies with sufficient precision to be used for clinical decision-making. Although large visualized defects in nonpregnant uteri, and thinning of the lower uterine segment late in subsequent pregnancies, may be associated with increased risk of uterine rupture, the paucity of available clinical correlation data still preclude any clinical utility. There is an ongoing need for prospective adequately powered registries that include clinical factors related to the previous cesarean deliveries that can inform subsequent practice decisions.
