Uterine rupture during trial of labor after previous cesarean section

This study was undertaken to determine the incidence and associations of uterine rupture and dehiscence with an attempted vaginal birth after cesarean section. The charts from 137 patients who had uterine scar separation after a previous cesarean section from 1983 to 1989 were examined. Approximately 9.3% of the 119,395 women who were delivered in that interval had a prior cesarean section. Of those, 68.8% underwent a trial of labor with a 79.2% success rate. The uterine rupture rate in this latter group was 0.8%, while an additional 0.7% had a bloodless dehiscence. Bleeding and pain were unlikely findings with a uterine scar separation (3.4% and 7.6%, respectively). The most common manifestation of a scar separation was a prolonged fetal heart rate deceleration leading to operative intervention (70.3%). We conclude that, although the incidence of uterine rupture was low, the event is most often seen as an acute emergency. Prevention should be directed toward timely diagnosis and prompt management of labor dystocias. Staff and facilities for safe management of a uterine scar separation are a requisite for the conduct of a vaginal birth after previous cesarean section.