Getting pregnant and not being able to carry the baby till full-term is often a traumatic experience for a woman and even surrounding family members, people who go through such unpleasant experiences usually sort for options to never have a repeat of such occurrence, most times medically.
There are different reasons why the happenings of miscarriage can happen during pregnancy, and in a bid to avoid a repeat of such occurrence, medicine came up with the idea of cervical cerclage, and that's exactly what we will be discussing in today's topic.
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If the topic sounds strange to you, just relax, the first time I heard it too, I was completely unaware of what it entails but after some time, I was able to learn a thing or two about it, and very soon I am sure you will also be able to say you also know something about this medical procedure.
Cervical cerclage is a surgical procedure performed to prevent loss during pregnancy, this procedure would have the cervix closed during pregnancy. Let's talk a bit about what would make this procedure an option in the first place.
Usually, the cervix of a pregnant mother would remain closed until its time for delivery when her water breaks. However, when there is increased pressure from a growing child, the cervix may begin to shorten and get more wide. If the cervix is weak, then it would open up too early creating a case of miscarriage or preterm birth.
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Doctors can decide to use the option of cervical cerclage if doctors think there could be a situation of recurring miscarriages or preterm labor, or if during a routine pregnancy scan, the medical expert has detected the shortening of the cervix.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), there are three well-accepted indications for the placement of cervical cerclage.
When there is a history or more of pregnancy loss during the second trimester that is related to cervical dilation.
In the absence of labor or abruption placentae.
If the pregnant woman had a prior cerclage placed as a result of cervical insufficiency.
Cervical cerclages have been used to prevent cases of preterm birth since the 1950s, but their efficacy is still being studied to date. A Cochrane review carried out in 2017, supports that, pregnant women with cerclage were found to most likely experience preterm birth compared with others.
The aim of cerclage is to ensure the cervix is closed, giving room for the baby to properly develop before leaving the womb. Usually, it is done about week 12 of pregnancy.
There are three types of cervical cerclage, two of them involve the vagina while the last one involves the abdomen.
Transvaginal cervical cerclage has the stitch placed underneath the cervix surface, close to where the womb is met.
MacDonald stitch is placed further down from the cervix, and close to the vagina.
Transabdominal cerclage is also known as abdomen cerclage, in this case, the cervix is stitched closed to the top of the cervical opening in the abdomen region. This procedure is a permanent one and is often carried out when other procedures aren't suitable. For this post, we will be dwelling more on this.
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Transabdominal Cerclage was introduced in the 1960s, it came as an alternative for women who could not have transvaginal procedures for some reasons with the main reason being that, women who have had surgery where large portions of the cervix were removed or women in whom a transvaginal cerclage has previously failed.
Initially, the surgery was performed as an open transabdominal cerclage, an incision that is similar to that of a cesarean section. But since the late 1990s, transabdominal cartilage has been performed through laparoscopy which is a keyhole surgery rather than laparotomy, an open surgery.
The healthcare provider gets to the cervix via the abdomen, the cervix is then stitched closed and when this is done, birth would only be through a cesarean section. While it is considered a safe procedure, it comes with certain risks too. Some of the possible risks include; infection, bleeding, pregnancy loss, ruptures, risk of anesthesia, pregnancy loss, premature contractions, premature rupturing of the membranes, and injuries to the bladder or organs close by.
Even if the procedure is said to be safe without complications most of the time, pregnant women are advised to instantly report back to the hospital if any of these symptoms are noticed;
- Belly or back pain.
- Bad-smelly fluid coming out of the vagina.
- Sign of infection at incision sight.
- Fever that is higher than 38°C.
- Unexpected vaginal spotting or bleeding.
- Pain that doesn't go away even after painkillers.
I just believe that technology continues to evolve to bring solutions to several issues, especially in the medical/health lines. The most important thing is to make sure to get advice from a medical expert before going on with the procedure and of course being mentally ready for it as well.
For Further Studies.
https://www.topdoctors.co.uk/medical-dictionary/cervical-cerclage
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560523/
https://www.advancedgynaecologymelbourne.com.au/laparoscopic-transabdominal-cerclage
https://www.saintlukeskc.org/health-library/pregnancy-and-childbirth-abdominal-cerclage#
https://www.saintlukeskc.org/health-library/pregnancy-and-childbirth-abdominal-cerclage#
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak about relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.