[Placental acretism, a repercussion of modern obstetrics]

The evolution of obstetrics has led us to beneficial discoveries, and to new pathologies. The increase of cesarean section is due to elective cesarean section and cesarean section on maternal request, which have increased in popularity over the last past few years. Without condemning them, we have to take into account the benefits, as well as the complications that may arise from them, leading us to pathologies that were not frequent before, such as placental acretism, which today, is the second cause of obstetric hemorrhage worldwide. For us to be able to counteract the potential complications, it is important to have a multidisciplinary team that allows us to decrease maternal and neonatal death, starting with primary prevention, capable of identifying risk factors, so as to be able to make an early diagnosis. Today, imaging studies have described suggestive markers of acretism at early gestational age, such as 8.4 to 14.2 weeks, allowing us a wide range of time for decision making. In the majority of cases, it is required to perform an obstetrical hysterectomy as a definitive treatment, which is a real challenge for medical skills. Nevertheless, conservative treatment with limited evidence, with uterotonics, and uterine artery embolization, has proved useful. When set on a scale, the risks and benefits of an elective, or maternal request cesarean section, we can understand why we have concluded that, in absence of maternal or fetal indications, natural delivery is the best way to resolve pregnancy.