Endovascular management of episiotomy site hematoma: Two cases and a brief review

Abstract

Episiotomy site hematoma, though uncommon, can be associated with serious maternal morbidity. It arises mostly due to tissue trauma or injury to blood vessels, leading to the formation of a pseudoaneurysm. Sometimes, when surgical management fails, embolization of the bleeding vessel is a lifesaving option. Here, we report two cases of episiotomy site hematoma that required selective arterial embolization for management, following the failure of surgical management. A 28-year-old G6A5 woman underwent forceps delivery following which she developed a 6*6-cm right-sided vulvovaginal hematoma at the episiotomy site. After failed surgical management, arterial embolization was performed and hemostasis was achieved. A 26-year-old P2L2 woman with a history of surgical exploration for episiotomy site hematoma, presented postdelivery on postpartum day seven with profuse vaginal bleeding. Her computed tomography angiogram revealed a pseudoaneurysm of around 2.1*1 cm in length with a vaginal hematoma of 4*5 cm. Selective artery embolization performed and complete hemostasis was achieved with no complications. Selective arterial embolization is a safe therapeutic option for episiotomy site hematoma, especially if surgical management fails.