RETAINED

PLACENTA

• DEFINITION:

• The placenta is said to be retained when it is not expelled from the uterus even 30 minutes after the delivery of the baby

• Normally the placenta is expelled in three stage - it first separates from the uterine muscle, then it descends into the lower segment of the uterus and vagina and then it is expelled outside. Problems can occur at any of these stages

Risk Factors • Previous retained placenta

• Previous injury or surgery to the uterus

• Preterm delivery

• Induced labor

• Multiparity

Causes

• Placenta separated but not expelled

• Simple Adherent Placenta

• Morbid adherence of the placenta:

Placenta Accreta

Placenta Increta

Placenta Percreta

• Constriction ring-reforming cervix

• Full bladder

• Uterine abnormality

Causes of Retained Placenta• Placenta separated but not expelled: The placenta

may separate completely from the uterine muscle but may still be retained within the uterus. There are three causes for this retention:

• Failure of the woman to push out the placenta due to exhaustion or prolonged labour.

• Closure of the cervix preventing the placenta from being expelled.

• A constriction ring in the uterus can hold up the placenta

• Simple Adherent Placenta:The placenta may fail to separate completely from the uterine muscle due to lack of contraction of the uterine muscles. This

condition, called 'uterine atonicity' occurs in

cases where the uterine muscles have become lax, either due to repeated pregnancy, prolonged laboror overdistension of the uterus during pregnancy, as in twin pregnancy. Simple Adherent Placenta is the commonest cause for retention of placenta.

• Morbid adhesion of the placenta: Morbid adhesion of the placenta can occur when the placenta is implanted deeply into the uterine muscles and thus fails to separate. The placenta can burrow uptodifferent depths in the uterine muscle. In simple cases, it is only attached firmly to muscle and can be stripped off by hand. In severe morbid adhesion, the placenta can burrow through the full thickness of the muscle. In this case, the uterus may be needed to be removed ('hysterectomy') to control the bleeding. There are three types of morbid adhesion of the placenta

• Placent Accreta: In this condition, the placenta penetrates deep into the uterine endometrium and reaches the muscles but does not penetrate into the muscles.

• Placent Increta: Here, the placenta attaches even deeper into the uterine wall and penetrates into the uterine muscle.

• Placent Percreta: In this condition, the placenta not only penetrates through the full thickness of the uterine muscles but also attaches to another organ such as the bladder or the rectum. Placenta percreta is very rare

Risks of Retained Placenta

• There may be severe bleeding which may be lifethreatening.

• Attempts at manual removal of the placenta can cause multiple injuries to the mother such as like vulvar hematoma, perineal tears, cervical tears and vaginal wall tears.

Management Details • If the placenta is undelivered after 30 minutes

consider:

• Emptying bladder

• Breastfeeding or nipple stimulation

• Change of position – encourage an upright position

• If bleeding: immediately

• Inform Anaesthetist

• Insertion of large bore IV (18g) cannula

• Insert urinary catheter

• Commence/continue oxytocin infusion 20 units in 1 litre / rate – 60drops per min

• Measure and accurately record blood loss

• Prepare and transfer patient to theatre for manual removal of placenta (MROP)

Management / Treatment of Retained Placenta

• Treatment will depend on the cause of the retention of the placenta. If bleeding is present, active treatment is done to control the blood loss and support the general condition of the patient.

• Controlled Cord Traction

• If the placenta is separated but not expelled, then controlled cord traction should be carried out. In this method, the uterus is held in place or pushed up gently through the abdominal wall by the left hand. The cut umbilical cord hanging from the vagina is held in the right hand and pulled steadily and slowly to pull out the placenta.

• Manual removal of the placenta

• The placenta may need to be removed manually if controlled cord traction fails.

• The patient is put under general anesthesia in the operation theatre. Under all aseptic conditions, the sterile gloved hand of the doctor is inserted into the uterus. The placenta is stripped from the uterine muscle gently and brought out.

Introducing one

hand into the

vagina along cord

Supporting the fundus while detaching the placenta

• Hysterectomy: If the placenta is too deeply embedded into the uterine musculature (called placenta accrete), a hysterectomy to remove the uterus may be indicated.

Post procedure care

• Observe the woman closely until the effect of IV sedation has worn off.

• Monitor the vital signs (pulse, blood pressure, respiration) every 30 minutes for the next 6 hours or until stable.

• Palpate the uterine fundus to ensure that the uterus remains contracted.

• Check for excessive lochia. • Continue infusion of IV fluids. • Transfuse as necessary.

Complications of a Retained Placenta

• Uterine inversion

• Shock (hypovolemic)

• Postpartum hemorrhage

• Puerperal Sepsis

• Subinvolution

• Hysterectomy

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