Animated Portrayal of Placenta Accreta Spectrum

foreign pregnancy new structure called the placenta grows to deliver oxygen and remove waste from the fetus's bloodstream the placenta begins as shell of cells around the embryo called trophoblasts this attaches to the lining of the mother's uterus called the decidua the trophoblasts become several different types of cells as they grow and divide some trophoblasts become structures inside the placenta called villi as they grow throughout the pregnancy the Villi Branch into the shape of tree inside the Villi blood vessels develop that will connect to the baby's umbilical cord at the base of some of the Villi another type of trophoblast helps hold the placenta in place normally these cells move into the decidua chemical signals from the lining of the uterus tell the cells how far to travel some travel short distance into the muscle of the uterus which is called the myometrium these cells also take control of the arteries that will carry oxygen and nutrients to the placenta they make arteries larger allowing them to carry more slow moving blood to the fetus which helps it grow about 12 weeks into the pregnancy the placenta begins to do its job as blood from the mother surrounds the tree-like Villi and delivers oxygen and nourishment to the fetus as time goes on the placenta will continue to grow as it supports the fetus after the baby is born the placenta will separate from the uterus pushed away by the strong contractions of Labor normally the placenta implants at the top or along the side of the uterus placenta covering the cervix is known as placenta previa this may occur with another condition known as placenta accreta Spectrum placenta accreta Spectrum or PAs occurs when the placenta does not attach normally to the uterus it can be divided into three categories based on how deep the attachment goes placenta accreta placenta increda and placenta per creda Pas increases the risk of serious bleeding during childbirth due to the large volume of maternal blood in the placenta Pas can be caused by scarring in the uterus which can happen after surgeries like cesarean section Pas usually happens low in the uterus at the same location as the c-section scar in areas with scar tissue the lining of the uterus can be abnormal which might make it easier for trophoblasts to invade in placenta aquita the placenta attaches directly to the muscle of the uterus instead of the uterine lining implicenta in creta the placenta invades the muscle of the uterus in the absence of normal uterine lining the placental cells continue their Journey deep into the muscle of the uterus because of this larger arteries deeper in the uterus also grow and change lastly in placenta per creda the placenta invades the full depth of the uterus all the way to the outer layer called the serosa when this happens the placenta may be able to grow into other organs in the pelvis such as the bladder and may also be able to influence blood vessels outside of the uterus placenta percreita can be especially dangerous because the placenta is so strongly attached to the uterus this increases the risk of serious bleeding during childbirth if ultrasound shows possible Pas other Imaging tests may be needed to help create safe plan for delivering the baby and decreasing the risk of bleeding an MRI can help your team of doctors see whether the placenta extends outside the uterus or involves organs like the bladder vagina or pelvic blood vessels Pas can increase the risk of significant bleeding during childbirth which can lead to rapid decrease in blood pressure shock and multi-organ dysfunction and failure seeing doctors at specialized Treatment Center during pregnancy can lessen the risks of dangerous bleeding during childbirth these doctors all have different skills that help them care for patients with Pas and will work with you to create plan to safely deliver your baby usually this will involve early delivery of the baby through the top of the uterus in special type of C-section the placenta stays inside of the uterus after the baby is born and is removed along with the uterus this is called cesarean hysterectomy the ovaries are left in place allowing the possibility of future pregnancies through gestational surrogacy Specialized Care from the Johns Hopkins placenta accreta Center May decrease the risk of complications during childbirth and improve the safety of you and your baby during pregnancy and delivery the team will continue to work together after delivery until mother and child are fully recovered