Repairing Uterine Lacerations Due to Dystocia

Abstract

What do you do when the uterus is severely lacerated as you correct a dystocia?

In the past in our practice, many of these cases were sent to slaughter. Some cases could be repaired by laparotomy and prolonged nursing care, but this was an expensive and time-consuming procedure. Now we have another option, prolapsing the uterus first and then repairing the laceration, a procedure I picked up from Dr. Maarten Drost from the University of Florida. In my experience with three recent cases, this option results in better prognosis and fewer complications than laparotomy.