Injury to your bladder, bowel or ureter
Uncommon at a first cesarean. More likely with each repeat.
Organs sit directly against the uterus, and scar tissue from previous surgery pulls them into the path of the incision.
In a regional audit, bladder injury occurred in about 1.4 per 1,000 cesareans and ureter injury in about 0.27 per 1,000. In the large multiple repeat cesarean study, rates of bladder injury, bowel injury and ureter injury all rose significantly with each additional cesarean.
Most injuries are recognized and repaired during the same operation. Some require a catheter for a period afterward, and a few require further surgery.
Where this comes from:
268. Silver RM, Landon MB, Rouse DJ, Leveno KJ, Spong CY, Thom EA, et al. Maternal morbidity associated with multiple repeat cesarean deliveries. Obstet Gynecol. 2006;107(6):1226-1232.
306. Rajasekar D, Hall M. Urinary tract injuries during obstetric intervention. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1997;104(6):731-734.
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This page is educational. It supports the conversation with your own clinicians. It is not consent to any treatment, and it cannot assess you. If you are worried about a symptom now, see urgent warning signs.