The first uterus reconstruction surgery performed by Dr. Arabo Ibrahim Bayo, senior consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Women’s Hospital, took place in 2009. This was the first time the procedure was performed anywhere in the world and since then Dr. Bayo and his team have successfully performed more than 30 surgeries.
According to Dr. Bayo, removal of the uterus may be required if a patient has placenta accrete, a life-threatening condition which causes the blood vessels and other parts of the placenta to grow into the walls of the uterus. The condition commonly occurs in connection with placenta previa where a women’s cervix is blocked by the placenta. It can result in severe bleeding before or during delivery and even result in maternal death.
Dr. Bayo says the number of patients experiencing placenta accrete is on the rise due to the increase in deliveries by C-section and other uterine surgeries. He adds that women having multiple pregnancies is also a factor.
“In most case, if a woman is diagnosed with a placenta accrete, a physician may recommend removing the entire uterus with a hysterectomy several weeks in advance of her due date. This is called a planned pre-term cesarean hysterectomy. It involves leaving the placenta in place and taking it out together with the uterus in order to help minimize a woman’s risk of severe bleeding and other complications.”
He added, “While this solution may work for some women, it may not work for all. The reconstructive surgery has given some of my patients the ability to maintain a regular menstruation cycle, which can be very important to a women’s self-esteem. It can even allow her to conceive again.”
In one of Dr. Bayo’s most rewarding cases, a patient who had two babies with a permanent disability due to congenital anomaly was able to get pregnant again and deliver a healthy baby after the reconstructive surgery. The patient had placenta accrete. Instead of removing her uterus, the surgical team, led by Dr. Bayo, removed the placenta and reconstructed the uterus.
“This patient was able to have a perfectly healthy baby delivered at 35 weeks after having two children with disabilities and suffering through a terrible pregnancy which could have resulted in her uterus needing to be removed,” Dr Bayo added.
At present, Women’s Hospital is one of the few hospitals worldwide that is able to perform the surgery.
