Mechanical Methods for the Induction of Labour After Previous Caesarean Section – An Updated, Evidence-based Review

There are currently no up-to-date evidence-based recommendations on the preferred method to induce labour after previous Caesarean section, especially for patients with unripe cervix, as randomised controlled studies are lacking. Intravenous oxytocin and misoprostol are contraindicated in these women because of the high risk of uterine rupture. In women with ripe cervix (Bishop Score > 6), intravenous administration of oxytocin is an effective procedure with comparable rates of uterine rupture to those with spontaneous onset of labour. Vaginal prostaglandin E (2) (PGE (2) ) and mechanical methods (balloon catheters, hygroscopic cervical dilators) are effective methods to induce labour in pregnant women with unripe cervix and previous Caesarean section. According to current guidelines, the administration of PGE (2) is associated with a higher rate of uterine rupture compared to balloon catheters. Balloon catheters are therefore a suitable alternative to PGE (2) to induce labour after previous Caesarean section, even though this is an off-label use. In addition to two meta-analyses published in 2016, 12 mostly retrospective cohort/observational studies with low to moderate levels of evidence have been published on mechanical methods of cervical ripening after previous Caesarean section. But because of the significant heterogeneity of the studies, substantial differences in study design, and insufficient numbers of pregnant women included in the studies, it is not possible to make any evidence-based recommendations based on these studies. According to a recent meta-analysis, the average rate using balloon catheters is approximately 53% and the average rate after spontaneous onset of labour is 72%. The uterine rupture rate was 0.2–0.9% for vaginal PGE (2) and 0.56–0.94% for balloon catheters and is therefore comparable to the uterine rupture rate associated with spontaneous onset of labour. According to the product informations, hygroscopic cervical dilators (Dilapan-S) are currently the only method which is not contraindicated for cervical ripening/induction of labour in women with previous Caesarean section, although data are insufficient. Well-designed, randomised, controlled studies with sufficient case numbers comparing balloon catheters and hygroscopic cervical dilators with mechanical methods and vaginal prostaglandin E (2) /oral misoprostol are therefore necessary to allow proper decision-making.