Management of retained products of conception in a tertiary centre: a 20-year retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background: Retained products of conception (RPOC) are defined as the persistence of trophoblastic tissue or placenta inside the uterine cavity after pregnancy. Management is challenging because there are no clearly defined diagnostic criteria, evidence-based guidelines, or treatment protocols. Our aim was to determine the success and complication rate of different methods of RPOC management at our tertiary centre in the last 20 years. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from patients with RPOC treated in our Clinic from 2003 to 2021 in three-year intervals. The following data were obtained: age, type of RPOC, type of treatment, complications, histopathological evaluation of the acquired tissue, and the need for transfusion. Conclusions: Our study shows that hysteroscopy and D&C are highly successful methods of RPOC, however, the complication rate in D&C is significantly higher. Moreover, less invasive treatment of RPOC using expectant and medical approach is plausible, especially in asymptomatic patients.