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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffPlacenta accreta is a serious pregnancy condition that occurs when blood vessels and other parts of the placenta grow too deeply into the uterine wall.
The placenta is a structure that develops in the uterus during pregnancy. The placenta provides oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby and removes waste products from your baby's blood. It attaches to the wall of your uterus, and your baby's umbilical cord arises from it.
Typically, the placenta detaches from the uterine wall after childbirth. With placenta accreta, part or all of the placenta remains strongly attached. This can cause vaginal bleeding during the third trimester of pregnancy and severe blood loss after delivery.
It's also possible for the placenta to invade the muscles of the uterus (placenta increta) or grow through the uterine wall (placenta percreta).
If extensive placenta accreta is suspected during pregnancy, you'll likely need a C-section delivery followed by the surgical removal of your uterus (hysterectomy).
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- Frequently asked questions. Special procedures FAQ 008. Hysterectomy. American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq008.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20120326T1355412038. Accessed March 26, 2012.
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- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 28, 2012.
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