EP16.39: Placenta previa and low‐lying placenta: prognosis according to gestational age at planned surgery in Korean women

We aimed to determine the general prognosis of placenta previa, including low-lying placenta, and the prognosis according to gestational age at planned delivery in Korean mothers. This was a multicentre retrospective cohort study that included singleton women with placenta previa, including a low-lying placenta. Gestational age at planned surgery, gestational age at delivery, emergency Caesarean delivery rates, and adverse maternal and neonatal outcome rates were determined. We also sought to determine whether there was a difference in emergency surgery rates and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes between those who planned surgery at 37 weeks and those who planned surgery at 38 weeks. A total of 1,081 patients were included, of which 242 (22.4%) had low-lying placenta, 372 (33.4%) had placenta previa partialis (PPP), and 467 (43.2%) had placenta previa totalis (PPT). The mean gestational age at planned surgery was 38 weeks for low-lying placenta and PPP and 37 weeks for PPT. The rate of emergency surgery was 50%, and the rate of adverse maternal outcome was 42.6% for PPT, which was significantly higher than that of PPP and low-lying placenta (all p < 0. 001) For PPT, there were more maternal complications when surgery was planned at 38 weeks than when surgery was planned at 37 weeks (48.3% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.031). For low-lying placentas, there were fewer neonatal complications when surgery was planned at 38 weeks than when surgery was planned at 37 weeks (4.9% vs. 17.1%, p = 0.042). In the Republic of Korea, low-lying placenta and PPP are scheduled for delivery at approximately 38 weeks, and PPT at approximately 37 weeks. In terms of maternal and neonatal complications, it seems reasonable to deliver low-lying placenta at approximately 38 weeks and placenta previa at approximately 37 weeks.