Hayman uterine compression stitch for arresting atonic postpartum hemorrhage: 5 years experience

Objectives: The present study was planned to access the efficacy of Hayman uterine compression stitch which is easy, can be applied faster and avoids the performance of a lower segment hysterotomy in patients with atonic postpartum hemorrhage. Materials and Methods: It is a study carried out from January 2004 to December 2008 at a tertiary care center and included 48 women who had intractable atonic PPH not managed with medical treatment and who were wishing to preserve their fertility. Hayman stitch which is a simplified approach to uterine compression sutures was performed by tying two parallel vertical sutures from just above the bladder reflection to the fundus of the uterus. Results: With Hayman stitch hysterectomy was avoided in 93.75% (45 out of the 48) patients with PPH. The postoperative course was uncomplicated, six women conceived spontaneously within 12 month after uterine compression suturing. Four delivered vaginally and two underwent cesarean section in view of fetal distress. The uterine cavity was found to be normal during caesarean section. Conclusion: Two parallel vertical compression sutures (Hayman stitch) placed in the uterus controls bleeding effectively. The technique is easy, rapid and requires less skill and this simple procedure be tried first before other complex measures like uterine artery ligation are undertaken particularly for those obstetricians who lack sufficient training and skill. Copyright (C) 2011, Taiwan Association of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved.