Clinical diagnosis and therapy of uterine scar defects after caesarean section in non-pregnant women.

PURPOSE

Caesarean delivery (c-section) scar dehiscences may cause bleeding abnormalities, e.g. postmenstrual spotting, dysmenorrhea and abdominal pain, secondary sterility and at worst peripartum uterine rupture. The purpose of this study was firstly to identify the correlation of women's complaints after c-section with scar-related clinical symptoms. Secondly, the effects of corrective surgery on preoperatively existing complaints were analysed and assessed in the patient population of our clinic.

METHODS

We present data of a retrospective study of 13 premenopausal, non-pregnant women with symptomatic c-section scars. In 9 out of 13 patients, a microsurgical uterus reconstruction was performed by mini-laparotomy. The postoperative changes of scar-associated symptoms were assessed by a questionnaire as earliest as 4 months after surgery (N = 5).

RESULTS

The c-section scar was visualised by transvaginal sonography in 12 out of 13 women by a typical U- or V-shaped hypoechoic or anechoic fluid accumulation in the region of former uterotomy and in all 13 patients by hysteroscopy. Bleeding disorders were often accompanied by dysmenorrhea/abdominal pain (38.5%, N = 5) and secondary sterility (46.2%, N = 6). Blood residues in the scar pouch and bleeding disorders/postmenstrual spotting were found in 30.8% of patients (N = 4) and combined with secondary sterility in 38.5% of patients (N = 5). Reconstructive surgeries resulted in discontinuation of bleeding disorders in all women and a pregnancy in three out of five patients (60%) with secondary sterility.

CONCLUSION

Clinical symptoms, e.g. "bleeding disorders" like postmenstrual spotting, "pain/dysmenorrhea" and "secondary sterility" could be specific indicators for the diagnosis of uterine dehiscence after c-section. Scar dehiscences can be diagnosed by obtaining the patients medical history and asking for typical symptoms followed by vaginal sonography and diagnostic hysteroscopy. If a c-section scar defect is confirmed, microsurgical uterus reconstruction can stop postmenstrual spotting, reduce abdominal pain/dysmenorrhea and improve fertility.