Expectant Management of Placenta Accreta Spectrum Disorders

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorder is a potentially life-threatening complication. The incidence of PAS has increased over the past few decades, mainly due to the increased cesarean section rate. While cesarean hysterectomy remains the most standard treatment for the management of PAS, expectant management is becoming increasingly prevalent to avoid serious maternal morbidity and maintain future fertility. Expectant management is defined as leaving the placenta either partially or fully in situ, and waiting for its spontaneous resorption or expulsion. The success rate of expectant management is high, but intraoperative uncontrolled hemorrhage results in hysterectomy. Moreover, some individuals fail expectant management and require delayed hysterectomy due to complications such as secondary postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, uterine necrosis, and vesicouterine fistula. As a result of the very limited data currently available, there is no consensus on the optimal strategy for the expectant management of PAS. However, it is clear that a multidisciplinary team approach in tertiary centers is essential for women with PAS. In addition, meticulous preparation is the key to successful expectant management. Here, we describe a surgical strategy designed to reduce perioperative blood loss, which is a minimum requirement to ensure maternal safety. This article also addresses practical issues in expectant management of PAS, based on the published literature and our own experience.