Uterine artery ligation to control postpartum hemorrhage.

Bilateral uterine artery ligation was performed for 32 patients in order to control intractable postpartum hemorrhage in 25 of them (currative ligation) and as prophylaxis against postpartum hemorrhage in seven (elective ligation). Mass ligation was used for 29 patients and isolation ligation for three. Among the 25 patients for whom curative ligation was performed, successful hemostasis was achieved in 20 patients (80%) and the technique failed in five (20%). This failure was due to a clotting defect in three and placenta previa accreta in two patients. Twenty-four patients (96%) survived and one died as a result of a clotting defect. Among five patients followed up, normal menstruation occurred with pregnancy in three of them.