Postpartum Surgical Complications in Women with Inflammatory Bowel Disease After Caesarian Section: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study

Background and Aims Our aim is to determine the 30-day postpartum surgical complications in women with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] who undergo a caesarian section rather than a vaginal delivery. Methods Using the Danish national registries, we established a study population of liveborn singleton births from January 1, 1997, through December 2015. We examined all mothers with IBD who had a caesarian section or a vaginal delivery. We examined 30-day maternal postpartum abdominal and perineal surgical outcomes and adjusted for multiple confounders. We examined acute versus elective caesarian sections and the effect of immunosuppressive therapies on outcomes. Results In women with IBD, 2.1% undergoing caesarian section [n = 3255] versus 0.3% undergoing vaginal delivery [n = 6425] had a surgical complication. Women with IBD who had a caesarian section were more likely to have small bowel and colon surgery (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.00-12.51). Similar results were found regardless of acute [aOR 4.51, 95% CI 1.48-13.76] or elective [aOR 6.52, 95% CI 2.45-17.33] caesarian section. The risk of surgery after caesarian section was increased regardless of immunosuppressive use [aOR with immunosuppressives 8.79, 95% CI 2.86-27.05; and aOR without immunosuppressives 4.49, 95% CI 1.74-11.58]. Conclusions The risk of a surgical complication after caesarian section as compared with a vaginal delivery is increased in women with IBD, regardless of whether the caesarian is performed for acute or elective reasons and/or of immunosuppressive use before delivery. Due to this increased risk, physicians should perform a caesarian delivery as the exception rather than the rule.

Automated summary

This study found that the risk of surgical complications after a cesarean section is higher in women with IBD compared to vaginal delivery, regardless of whether the cesarean section is performed for acute or elective reasons, and regardless of the use of immunosuppressive therapies before delivery.