Emergency Peripartum Hysterectomy During COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective To evaluate women undergoing emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH) during COVID-19 pandemic regarding their sociodemographic features, indications, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and assess their health problems related to a traumatic birth. Methods This was a retrospective review of EPH cases operated from March 2020 to March 2021 in terms of demographic characteristics, intraoperative, and postoperative outcome variables. Results During the specified time period, there were nine cases of EPH. All patients were young with ages ranging from 25 to 31 years; all were unbooked having unplanned pregnancies and presented at varying gestational ages. Six out of nine cases (66.67%) had previously scarred uterus with five women having morbidly adhered placenta. A total of 77.78% (seven out of nine) patients referred to our centre with high-risk factors. Five out of nine women (55.56%) needed ICU care. Seven out of nine women (77.78%) had live births and two of these infants died. The guilt of losing the baby, lethargy, worries related to feminity and sexual health, and flashbacks of ICU stay were major concerns. Conclusion The morbidly adhered placenta was the primary cause of EPH in our study cohort. Preventive psychological session should be an integral part of postpartum follow-up visits for any women with traumatic childbirth.