ARE CESAREAN SECTION AND APPENDECTOMY IN PREGNANCY AND PUERPERIUM
INTERRELATED? A COHORT STUDY
Abstract
Objective: It is not known whether appendectomy for acute appendicitis
(AA) increases the Cesarean section (CS) rate and whether CS increases
the likelihood of AA and appendectomy in the early puerperium. In this
study, delivery type and delivery outcomes and appendectomy during
pregnancy and puerperium were analyzed. Material and Methods: This
cross-sectional retrospective study was performed on 11513 women,
delivered during 2015-2020. Inclusion criteria were patients submitted
to appendectomy for AA during pregnancy and the first six weeks after
delivery. Evaluating parameters were age, parity, gestational week at
birth, delivery type, and babies’ birth weight. Results: Thirty-two
patients underwent appendectomy: 12 during pregnancy (2 in the first
trimester, 6 in the second trimester, 4 in the third trimester) and 20
women during puerperium. 58.2% of pregnant women and 65% of puerperal
women were submitted to CS. Conclusions: Half of the women who underwent
appendectomy for AA during pregnancy may require urgent CS. The cause of
acute abdomen in the postpartum period, especially in the first week,
could be AA, especially in women delivered by CS.