Successful Vaginal Delivery during Acute Small Bowel Obstruction: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Small bowel obstruction during pregnancy is rare and can be detrimental to both mother and fetus. In most cases, management eventually involves surgical intervention. Little is known regarding optimal mode of delivery in those with bowel obstruction during pregnancy. We present a case of vaginal delivery during acute small bowel obstruction as well as a review of recent literature regarding mode of delivery in the setting of bowel obstruction. Our case and literature review demonstrates that in pregnancies complicated by small bowel obstruction, successful vaginal delivery can be achieved in those with stable maternal-fetal status.

Management of small bowel obstruction in the third trimester

“…We generated a total of 53 unique detailed cases of SBO in the third trimester of pregnancy excluding our case (figure 1). Factors from the literature review cases6–58 included maternal age, gestational age at the time of presentation, presenting symptoms, imaging modalities used, inpatient management approach, surgical route if applicable, intraoperative fetal heart rate monitoring if applicable, delivery timing, route of delivery, maternal outcomes, fetal outcomes and length of hospitalisation as outlined in the (online supplemental table 1). The data were extracted to a custom-made inclusive table outlining all the variables highlighted in table 1.…”