Indwelling Intrauterine Foley Balloon Catheter for Intraoperative and Postoperative Bleeding in Cesarean Scar Pregnancy.

Study Objective: Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a rare type of ectopic pregnancy, and a significant concern in the management of this condition is the control and prevention of bleeding. We aimed to determine the efficacy and value of an indwelling, intrauterine Foley balloon catheter in controlling and preventing intraoperative and postoperative bleeding in patients with CSP.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: University-affiliated hospital.

Patients: Between January 1, 2015 and May 31, 2017, 70 patients presented with CSP.

Interventions: All patients underwent uterine curettage under hysteroscopic guidance and ultrasound monitoring. Patients were then assigned to 2 groups: the study group, with an indwelling Foley balloon catheter placed in the uterine cavity during surgery and retained for 24 to 48 hours, and the control group, without catheter placement. Data were collected to compare the 2 groups in terms of intraoperative and postoperative complications, surgical time, and status of menstruation resumption.

Measurements And Main Results: The average daily volume of postoperative blood loss during the first 3 postoperative days in the study group was 23.1 mL compared with 31.5 mL observed in the control group (p = .041). Moreover, the study group had significantly shorter average duration of bleeding (p = .027) and fewer menstruation abnormalities than the control group. Uterine ultrasonography performed after resumption of menstruation showed that none of the enrolled patients had any intrauterine abnormalities.

Conclusions: The use of an indwelling, intrauterine Foley balloon catheter has positive results in the management of CSP.