Advertisement
Case Reports|Articles in Press, 110021

Management of Cesarean Scar Ectopic Pregnancies at an Academic Referral Center: A Case Series

      Abstract

      Objective

      To describe treatment and outcomes of patients with confirmed cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy (CSEP) at a tertiary referral center.

      Study Design

      We reviewed a de-identified family planning clinical database for patients seen by our subspecialty service for CSEP from January 2017 through December 2021 in this case series. We extracted referral information, final diagnosis, management, and outcome measures including estimated blood loss (EBL), secondary procedures and treatment complications.

      Results

      Of 57 cases referred for suspected CSEPs, 23 (40%) had confirmed diagnoses; one additional case was diagnosed during clinic evaluation for early pregnancy loss. Most (n=50 [88%]) referrals occurred in the last 2 years of the 5-year study period. Of 24 confirmed CSEP cases, 8 were pregnancy losses at the time of diagnosis. Fourteen cases were ≤50 days gestation or gestational size (7 [50%] pregnancy losses) and 10 >50 days gestation (range 39-66 days). We treated all 14 patients ≤50 days primarily with suction aspiration under ultrasound guidance in an operating room with no complications and EBL of 14±10 mL. Of the ten patients >50 days (maximum 66 days), 7 were managed with primary aspiration of which 5 were uncomplicated. We treated one patient (57 days) had primary intrauterine double-catheter balloon with immediate hemorrhage requiring uterine artery embolization followed by an uncomplicated suction aspiration.

      Conclusion

      Patients with confirmed CSEPs at 50 days or less gestation or gestational size can likely be primarily treated with suction aspiration with low risk for significant adverse outcomes. Treatment success and complications are directly related to gestational age at treatment.

      Keywords

      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access
      One-time access price info
      • For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
      • For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to Contraception
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

        • Miller R.
        • Gyamfi-Bannerman C.
        • Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM)
        Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Consult Series #63: Cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy.
        Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022; 227: B9-B20https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2022.06.024
        • Timor-Tritsch I.E.
        • Monteagudo A.
        • Calì G.
        • D'Antonio F.
        • Kaelin Agten A.
        Cesarean Scar Pregnancy: Diagnosis and Pathogenesis.
        Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2019; 46: 797-811https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogc.2019.07.009
        • Gonzalez N.
        • Tulandi T.
        Cesarean Scar Pregnancy: A Systematic Review.
        J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2017; 24: 731-738https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmig.2017.02.020
        • Jayaram P.M.
        • Okunoye G.O.
        • Konje J.
        Caesarean scar ectopic pregnancy: diagnostic challenges and management options.
        The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist. 2017; 19: 13-20https://doi.org/10.1111/tog.12355
        • Calì G.
        • Timor-Tritsch I.E.
        • Palacios-Jaraquemada J.
        • Monteaugudo A.
        • Buca D.
        • Forlani F.
        • et al.
        Outcome of Cesarean scar pregnancy managed expectantly: systematic review and meta-analysis.
        Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2018; 51: 169-175https://doi.org/10.1002/uog.17568
        • Zosmer N.
        • Fuller J.
        • Shaikh H.
        • Johns J.
        • Ross J.A.
        Natural history of early first-trimester pregnancies implanted in Cesarean scars.
        Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2015; 46: 367-375https://doi.org/10.1002/uog.14775
        • Maheux-Lacroix S.
        • Li F.
        • Bujold E.
        • Nesbitt-Hawes E.
        • Deans R.
        • Abbott J.
        Cesarean Scar Pregnancies: A Systematic Review of Treatment Options.
        J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2017; 24: 915-925https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmig.2017.05.019
        • Timor-Tritsch I.E.
        • Monteagudo A.
        • Bennett T.A.
        • Foley C.
        • Ramos J.
        • Kaelin Agten A.
        A new minimally invasive treatment for cesarean scar pregnancy and cervical pregnancy.
        Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016; 215 (e1-8): 351https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2016.03.010
        • Timor-Tritsch I.E.
        • Cali G.
        • Monteagudo A.
        • Khatib N.
        • Berg R.E.
        • Forlani F.
        • et al.
        Foley balloon catheter to prevent or manage bleeding during treatment for cervical and Cesarean scar pregnancy.
        Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2015; 46: 118-123https://doi.org/10.1002/uog.14708
        • Kus L.H.
        • Veade A.E.
        • Eisenberg D.L.
        • Dicke J.M.
        • Kelly J.C.
        • Dickison S.M.
        Maternal morbidity after double balloon catheter management of cesarean scar and cervical pregnancies.
        Obstet Gynecol. 2022; 140: 933-935https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000004977
        • Agha R.A.
        • Sohrabi C.
        • Mathew G.
        • Franchi T.
        • Kerwan A.
        • O'Neill N.
        The PROCESS 2020 Guideline: Updating Consensus Preferred Reporting Of CasESeries in Surgery (PROCESS) Guidelines.
        Int J Surg. 2020; 84 (PROCESS Group): 231-235https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.11.005
        • Wu X.Q.
        • Zhang H.W.
        • Fang X.L.
        • Ding H.
        • Piao L.
        • Joseph Huang S.
        Factors associated with successful transabdominal sonography-guided dilation and curettage for early cesarean scar pregnancy.
        Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2015; 131: 281-284https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.06.029