2018 Volume 34 Issue 1 Pages 170-173
Retained placenta, a partial retention of placental tissue after abortion or delivery, may cause massive hemorrhage. When it is removed surgically with uterine preservation, uterine artery embolization is often performed beforehand to reduce the amount of bleeding during operation. However, the risk of postoperative obstetrical complications is concerning due to the extended amount of time with blood flow blocked in the uterine artery. A 37-year-old woman, gravid 5 para 3, came to our hospital on the 35th postpartum day because of bloody vaginal discharge after artificial abortion at 19 weeks of gestation by gemeprost vaginal suppository. An intrauterine mass with abundant blood flow was observed by ultrasound. The elevated level of serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) was 26.9 mIU/ml, and was indicative of retained placenta. Hysteroscopic resection after temporal laparoscopic uterine artery clipping was performed for the removal of retained placenta without any complications. We report here this minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of retained placenta and discuss its efficacy, usefulness and safety.
