BACKGROUND We conducted this retrospective study to evaluate the outcomes and indications of emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH) as a life-saving procedure. METHODS We analyzed a series of 140 cases of EPH, between January 1993 and December 2008 in our clinic, retrospectively. The data were collected from the patients' files. The incidence, demographic characteristics, risk factors, indications and outcomes of hysterectomy, peripartum complications, the operation types, maternal morbidity and mortality and fetal mortality were evaluated. RESULTS A total of 26,015 of women were delivered. The incidence of EPH was 5.38 per 1,000 deliveries. The mean age was 34.19 +/- 6.04 years (range, 21-49 years), gravidity was 6.84 +/- 3.38 (1-17) and parity was 5.58 +/- 3.04 (0-15). Of the 140 cases, 90 were delivered by cesarean section [29 (20.71%) of these had had a previous cesarean section] and 50 were vaginally delivered. One hundred and five cases had subtotal hysterectomy and 35 had total abdominal hysterectomy. The most common indications for EPH were uterine atony followed by uterine rupture and abnormal placentation. Mean operation time was 142.23 +/- 43.70 minutes. The average blood transfusion was 4.79 +/- 3.36 (1-14) units. Relaparotomy was performed in 23 cases. Maternal mortality was seen in 13 cases. Seventy-nine of the cases delivered at an outside center and were referred to our clinic for the intensive care unit. Sixty-one of the cases delivered at our clinic and 31 had stillbirths. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that the most common indications for EPH are uterine atony, uterine rupture and abnormal placentation. This is probably due to the advanced age of pregnancies and multiparity in our region. Therefore, we believe that the risk of EPH may be decreased with appropriate and closer prenatal care as well as education of the pregnant women.