Post-partum hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide and is also a leading cause for maternal admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Uterine atony is the primary cause of post-partum hemorrhage due to the inability of the uterine muscles to contract sufficiently to compress and constrict the internal blood vessels following delivery of a baby.
Intrauterine balloons and other intrauterine devices for treatment of post-partum hemorrhage have been found to be sub-optimal in many cases. In other procedures, sutures are placed in the outer surfaces of the uterine walls to compress the anterior and posterior walls of the uterus together to stop the bleeding. These sutures must be placed by a skilled surgeon in a limited time window, which is often not possible. Although helpful in many cases, these sutures have the following shortcomings:    1—Can be technically difficult to place    2—May result in injury of the Fallopian tubes, ureters or both    3—No tension gauge adjustment is possible. Excessive tension has been reported to cause necrosis of the uterine muscle.    4—Stay permanently in the body; resulting in adhesions between the uterus and the surrounding organs, particularly the bowel    5—Infected blood collections inside the uterus may result in pockets of infection.
This has been reported to create adhesions inside the uterine cavity or severe infections necessitating a hysterectomy.
Accordingly, a need has been identified for a new and improved device and method for treating post-partum hemorrhage.