Cervical cerclage
Obstetrics medical procedure From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Obstetrics medical procedure From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cervical cerclage, also known as a cervical stitch, is a treatment for cervical weakness, when the cervix starts to shorten and open too early during a pregnancy causing either a late miscarriage or preterm birth. In women with a prior spontaneous preterm birth and who are pregnant with one baby, and have shortening of the cervical length less than 25 mm, a cerclage prevents a preterm birth and reduces death and illness in the baby.[1]
The treatment consists of a strong suture sewn into and around the cervix early in the pregnancy, usually between weeks 12 to 14, and then removed towards the end of the pregnancy when the greatest risk of miscarriage has passed. The procedure is performed under local anaesthesia, usually by way of a spinal block. It is typically performed on an outpatient basis by an obstetrician-gynecologist. Usually the treatment is done in the first or second trimester of pregnancy, for a woman who has had one or more late miscarriages in the past.[2] The word "cerclage" means encircling, hooping or banding in French.[3]
The success rate for cervical cerclage is approximately 80–90% for elective cerclages, and 40–60% for emergency cerclages. A cerclage is considered successful if labor and delivery is delayed to at least 37 weeks (full term). After the cerclage has been placed, the patient will be observed for at least several hours (sometimes overnight) to ensure that she does not go into premature labor. The patient will then be allowed to return home, but will be instructed to remain in bed or avoid physical activity (including sexual intercourse) for two to three days, or up to two weeks. Follow-up appointments will usually take place so that her doctor can monitor the cervix and stitch and watch for signs of premature labor.[citation needed]
For women who are pregnant with one baby (a singleton pregnancy) and at risk for a preterm birth, when cerclage is compared with no treatment, there is a reduction in preterm birth and there may be a reduction in the number of babies who die (perinatal mortality)[2] There is no evidence that cerclage is effective in a multiple gestation pregnancy for preventing preterm births and reducing perinatal deaths or neonatal morbidity.[4] Various studies have been undertaken to investigate whether cervical cerclage is more effective when combined with other treatments, such as antibiotics or vaginal pessary, but the evidence remains uncertain.[5]
There are three types of cerclage:[6]
While cerclage is generally a safe procedure, there are a number of potential complications that may arise during or after surgery. These include:[citation needed]
The Arabin Pessary is a silicone device that has been suggested to prevent spontaneous preterm birth without the need for surgery.[11] The leading hypotheses for its mechanisms were that it could help keep the cervix closed similarly to the cerclage, as well as change the inclination of the cervical canal so that the pregnancy weight is not directly above the internal os. However, large randomized clinical trials in singleton[12] and twin pregnancies[13] found that the cervical pessary did not result in a lower rate of spontaneous early preterm birth. Therefore, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommendation is that placement of cervical pessary in pregnancy to decrease preterm birth, should be used only in the context of a clinical trial or research protocol.[14]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
