Department of Anaesthesiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research
Department of Anaesthesiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research
Department of Anaesthesiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research
Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is defined as a serious obstetric complication in which the placenta develops in abnormal adhesion to the uterine wall and includes conditions from placenta accreta to increta and percreta. It significantly increases the risk of major hemorrhage at delivery and complicates matters when concomitant with complete placenta previa, which also poses its own set of difficulties and risks to mother and baby safety. The case study report below focuses on the management of a complete placenta previa at 34.3 weeks of gestation in a 29-year-old female patient, who had two previous cesarean sections. Thereby, we explored a preoperative strategy using uterine artery embolization (UAE) with the aim of mitigating the risk of major intraoperative bleeding, thus showing its effectivity in enhancing surgical outcomes in high-risk scenarios. Following the successful UAE, a planned cesarean delivery was carried out under general anaesthesia. Again, despite careful planning, the patient experienced severe hemorrhage that was estimated at 2,500 ml in the course of the procedure. Postoperatively, it was necessary to have aggressive blood product transfusions and close monitoring in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). This case really brings out the role of a multidisciplinary approach in managing complex obstetric situations, such as PAS and placenta previa, when considering the roles of obstetricians, anesthesiologists, and interventional radiologists for optimisation of maternal and neonatal outcomes. Similarly, new management protocols in similar cases of high-risk pregnancy continue to require research and collaborative practices.
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