Objective: To estimate the prevalence and review the indications, risk factors, and complications associated with peripartum hysterectomy. Methods: A retrospective analysis of all cases that underwent peripartum hysterectomy identified from the hospital records. All women who delivered at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between January 2000 and December 2011 and required emergency peripartum hysterectomy were included in the study. Cases were reviewed for indications, maternal characteristics, booking status, labor, mode of delivery, type of hysterectomy required (total or subtotal), postoperative morbidity, and maternal and fetal outcomes. Results: A total of 41peripartum hysterectomies were identified during the study period, representing a prevalence rate of 0.8%. Conclusion: Cesarean section delivery remains one of the major risk factors for placenta previa and abnormal placentation, which together account for the majority of cases of postpartum hemorrhage that require emergency peripartum hysterectomy
