Obstetric rupture of the rectovaginal septum and sphincter complex despite an intact perineum: report of three cases.

Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol

Department of Surgery, Westfriesgasthuis Hoorn, The Netherlands.

Published: December 2012

Obstetric injury comprising tearing of the rectovaginal septum, rectal mucosa, and anal sphincter complex with limited or no involvement of the perineal body may implicate the sudden appearance of an elbow, foot or head in the anal orifice during the second phase of labour. This complex type of obstetric injury is highly uncommon and reports have rarely been published. There are no guideliness as to how to respond to this obstetric emergency and there is no time for consultation. In order to reach clinical recommendations on repair and management of this unexpected obstetric injury for the midwife or obstetrician, we report three such cases. The three described cases with their corresponding sequence of events and interventions illustrate that successful repair of these types of injury can often be achieved. To minimize factors leading to long-term complications, repair requires the involvement of an experienced gynaecologist and sometimes even a colorectal surgeon.

Download full-text PDF

Source

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

obstetric injury
12
rectovaginal septum
8
sphincter complex
8
report three
8
three cases
8
obstetric
5
obstetric rupture
4
rupture rectovaginal
4
septum sphincter
4
complex despite
4

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!