Objective: Describe the clinical-surgical results of patients with PAS in the low-posterior cervical-trigonal space associated with fibrosis (PAS type 4) compared with PAS types in other locations (Types 1, upper bladder, 2 in upper parametrium) and in particular with PAS type 3, corresponding to dissectible cervical-trigonal invasion. The clinical-surgical results of using a standard hysterectomy were analyzed with a modified subtotal hysterectomy (MSTH) in patients with PAS type 4.
Material and methods: A descriptive, retrospective, multicenter study included 337 patients of PAS; thirty-two corresponding to PAS type 4, from three PAS reference hospitals, CEMIC, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fundación Valle de Lili, Cali, Colombia, and Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, between January 2015 and December 2020. PAS was diagnosed by abdominal and transvaginal ultrasound and topographically characterized by ultrafast T2 weighted MRI. In persistent macroscopic hematuria after MSTH, the surgeon performs an intentional cystotomy and uses a square compression suture to achieve the hemostasis inside the bladder wall.According to a PAS topographical classification, the patients with low-vesical cervical involvement compared with PAS located in relation with the upper blader (type1), upper parametrium (type 2 upper), and also with PAS situated in the lower vesical-trigon space (type 3). PAS 3 and 4 are located in identical area, but in type 3, group A, the vesicouterine space was dissectible, and in type 4, group B, significant fibrosis made surgical dissection extremely challenging. Furthermore, group B was divided into patients treated with total hysterectomy (HT) and those treated with a modified subtotal hysterectomy (MSTH). The surgical requirements to perform an MSHT included the availability of proximal vascular control at the aortic level (internal manual aortic compression, aortic endovascular balloon, aortic loop, or aortic cross-clamping). Then surgeon performed an upper segmental hysterotomy, avoiding the abnormal placenta invasion area; after that, the fetus was delivered, and the umbilical cord was ligated.After uterine exteriorization, the surgeon applies a continuous circular suture with number 2 polyglactin 910, taking some portions of the myometrium -to avoid unintentional slipping- around the lower uterine segment and a 3-4 cm proximal to the abnormal adhesion of the placenta. After tightening hard the circular suture, the uterine segment was circumferentially cut, three centimeters proximal to the circular hemostatic sutures. Next, the surgery follows the upper steps of conventional hysterectomy without changes. Additionally, the histological presence of fibrosis was examined in all samples.
Results: Modified subtotal hysterectomy in patients with PAS type 4 (cervical-trigonal fibrosis) resulted in a significant clínico-surgical improvement over total hysterectomy. The median operative time and intraoperative bleeding were 140 min (IQR 90--240) and 1895 mL (IQR 1300-2500) in patients undergoing modified subtotal hysterectomy, and 260 min (IQR 210-287) and 2900 mL (IQR 2150-5500) in patients treated with total hysterectomy, respectively. The complication rate was 20% for MSHT and 82.3% for patients with a total hysterectomy.
Conclusions: PAS in the cervical trigonal area associated with fibrosis implies a greater risk of complications due to uncontrollable bleeding and organ damage. MSTH is associated with lower morbidity and difficulties in PAS type 4. Prenatal or intrasurgical diagnosis is essential to plan surgical alternatives to improve the results.
Keywords: Placenta accreta spectrum; cervical-trigonal placenta invasion; low-posterior bladder fibrosis; massive bleeding; maternal morbidity.