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How a Rare Pregnancy Complication Was Defeated with Precision and Teamwork at Birthright by Rainbow Hospitals
Apr 12, 2025
The patient, a 26-year-old woman, was diagnosed with placenta percreta, an extremely rare condition, where the placenta abnormally attaches to the uterine wall and penetrates through it, invading nearby organs like the bladder or bowel. Such high-risk obstetric surgery is not only surgically challenging but also requires meticulous planning.
Placenta percreta can lead to catastrophic bleeding during delivery, often necessitating massive blood transfusions, posing serious risks to both mother and child. “The patient had no symptoms, and her condition was diagnosed during a regular scan at around 30–32 weeks,” explained Dr. Himabindu, Consultant Obstetrician, Gynecologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon at Birthright by Rainbow Hospitals. “The ultrasound and MRI scans revealed that the placenta had grown beyond the uterus and was firmly attached to the bladder. The placenta was very vascular and had large blood filled lacunae. Typically, these cases are associated with life-threatening haemorrhage, and survival has historically been a challenge. Due to the complexity of her case, all the hospitals the patient visited earlier refused to take her on,” she said.
“When we met the patient and her family, we counselled her thoroughly about the risks, complications and our plan to undertake additional procedures to reduce the risk. We decided to deliver the baby at 35 weeks to avoid the onset of labour or an emergency bleeding situation.”
The multi-disciplinary team led by Dr Himabindu, included Dr Srinivas and Dr Geetha, anaesthetists from Axon group; Dr Vipin Goel, surgical oncologist and Dr Mahesh, interventional radiologist from Star hospitals, along with highly skilled nursing staff and senior management.
To mitigate the risk, the medical team employed interventional radiology, an advanced technique rarely used in obstetrics. “Before we began the surgery, interventional radiologists inserted balloon catheters into the internal iliac arteries that supply blood to the uterus,” said Dr. Himabindu. “Once the baby was delivered using an incision from a site away from the placenta, the balloons were inflated to block the blood flow, dramatically reducing bleeding during the surgery. The very complex life saving procedure took around 6 hours in total. There was no injury to bladder or any of the surrounding organs. The total blood loss was only 500 ml that was on par with a routine C-section and no blood transfusion was required, a rare feat in placenta percreta cases globally. Both the mother and the child are now stable and recovering well,” she said.
This success was made possible through meticulous planning and coordinated efforts. “Every possible scenario was anticipated, right from need of blood and blood products, use of lifts, need for ambulance services, NICU care and advanced anaesthesia protocols,” Dr. Himabindu emphasized. “It reflects the strength of a fully integrated, high-acuity maternal care unit that Birthright by Rainbow Hospitals is proud to represent.”
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