A PREGNANT woman was saved by doctors at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital on Oct. 2 after she almost died from a uterine rupture, the Nanfang Daily reported yesterday.

The 35-year-old woman, identified as Qin Huan, was in her 35th week of pregnancy. She was brought to the hospital after she had a stomachache on the morning of Oct. 2. An ultrasound scan showed that her uterus might have ruptured as the fetus’ leg was outside the uterus and her peritoneal cavity was filled with effusions.

A uterine rupture is a life-threatening event for both the mother and baby. In order to save Qin and her baby’s life, the doctors immediately performed an operation on Qin. They gave general anesthesia to her and removed the baby from the uterus within 10 minutes. Both Qin and her newborn were in good condition after the operation.

Zhong Shilin, a doctor in the hospital’s obstetrics department, said there was a 7-centimeter hole at the bottom of Qin’s uterus and the amniotic fluid had spilled into her peritoneal cavity.

Qin underwent an operation to remove a myoma in her uterus last year, which had left a scar in her uterus. She got pregnant half a year later, and the growing fetus pulled apart the scar, leading to the uterine rupture.

According to Zhong, women who have a uterine operation or C-section should avoid getting pregnant before their uterus is fully healed. They are advised not to get pregnant until one and a half years after the operation and to have antenatal examinations on a regular basis after they get pregnant. (Zhang Yang)