Subsequent pregnancy in women who have undergone bilateral uterine artery ligation during cesarean section: A case series

Abstract

Bilateral uterine artery ligation (BUAL) serves as an effective surgical devascularization procedure in obstetric emergencies. However, concerns regarding the impact of uterine devascularization have evoked dispute. Here, the fetal growth index and obstetrical outcomes during the subsequent pregnancy of women who had undergone BUAL during cesarean section are reported. The case series of women who underwent BUAL during cesarean section and had another delivery later at the Xiamen Women and Children's Hospital between 2011 and 2020 is described. Pregnancies that did not continue beyond 20 weeks of gestation were excluded. Cases were identified from neonatal and obstetric databases and the clinical data of all cases were extracted. A total of 12 cases were identified retrospectively. Fetal biometric parameters of subsequent pregnancies in all cases including biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, and femur length are presented graphically across the different gestational ages and were all within the range of the 3rd‑97th percentile. No maternal or neonatal morbidity was observed. BUAL did not appear to compromise a woman's subsequent obstetric outcomes. As a safe and simple surgical technique, it is safe to recommend BUAL in clinical practice.