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Caesarean section in the second delivery to prevent anal incontinence after asymptomatic obstetric anal sphincter injury: the EPIC multicentre randomised trial
Author(s) -
Abramowitz L,
Mandelbrot L,
Bourgeois Moine A,
Tohic AL,
Carne Carnavalet C,
Poujade O,
Roy C,
Tubach F
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/1471-0528.16452
Subject(s) - medicine , interquartile range , vaginal delivery , asymptomatic , endoanal ultrasound , caesarean section , urinary incontinence , fecal incontinence , episiotomy , obstetrics , pregnancy , surgery , gynecology , anal canal , rectum , genetics , biology
Objective To determine whether planned caesarean section (CS) for a second delivery protects against anal incontinence in women with obstetric anal sphincter lesions. Design Randomised trial. Setting Six maternity units in the Paris area. Sample Women at high risk of sphincter lesions (first delivery with third‐degree laceration and/or forceps) but no symptomatic anal incontinence. Methods Endoanal ultrasound was performed in the third trimester of the second pregnancy. Women with sphincter lesions were randomised to planned CS or vaginal delivery (VD). Main outcome measures Anal incontinence at 6 months postpartum. Secondary outcomes were urinary incontinence, sexual morbidity, maternal and neonatal morbidities and worsening of external sphincter lesions. Results Anal sphincter lesions were detected by ultrasound in 264/434 women enrolled (60.8%); 112 were randomised to planned VD and 110 to planned CS. At 6–8 weeks after delivery, there was no significant difference in anal continence between the two groups. At 6 months after delivery, median Vaizey scores of anal incontinence were 1 (interquartile range 0–4) in the CS group and 1 (interquartile range 0–3) in the VD group ( P = 0.34). There were no significant differences for urinary continence, sexual functions or for other maternal and neonatal morbidities. Conclusions In women with asymptomatic obstetric anal sphincter lesions diagnosed by ultrasound, planning a CS had no significant impact on anal continence 6 months after the second delivery. These results do not support advising systematic CS for this indication. Tweetable abstract Caesarean section for the second delivery did not protect against anal incontinence in women with asymptomatic obstetric anal sphincter lesions.