Objective: To estimate the effects of prenatal diagnosis and delivery planning on outcomes in patients with placenta accreta.
Methods: A review was performed of all patients with pathologically confirmed placenta accreta at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center from January 1990 to April 2008. Cases were divided into those with and without predelivery diagnosis of placenta accreta. Patients with prenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta were scheduled for planned en bloc hysterectomy without removal of the placenta at 34-35 weeks of gestation after betamethasone administration. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were assessed.
Results: Ninety-nine women with placenta accreta were identified, of whom 62 were diagnosed before delivery and 37 were diagnosed intrapartum. Comparing women with predelivery diagnosis with those diagnosed at the time of delivery, there were fewer units of packed red blood cells transfused (4.7+/-2.2 compared with 6.9+/-1.8 units, P=.02) and a lower estimated blood loss (2,344+/-1.7 compared with 2,951+/-1.8 mL, P=.053), although this trend did not reach statistical significance. Comparison of neonatal outcomes demonstrated a higher rate of steroid administration (65% compared with 16%, P<or=.001), neonatal admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (86% compared with 60%, P=.005), and longer neonatal hospital stays (10.7+/-1.9 compared with 6.9+/-2.1 days, P=.006). Length of NICU stay, rates of respiratory distress syndrome, and surfactant administration did not differ between the groups.
Conclusion: Predelivery diagnosis of placenta accreta is associated with decreased maternal hemorrhagic morbidity. Planned delivery at 34-35 weeks of gestation in this cohort did not significantly increase neonatal morbidity.
Level of evidence: II.