Cervical Cerclage: A Review and Rethinking of Current Practice

Abstract

Importance Cervical insufficiency (CI) is a serious complication of pregnancy, which can cause preterm birth. Identifying how to most effectively treat CI has the potential to maximize neonatal survival in this population of women. Objective To determine whether transabdominal cervical cerclage should be offered as a first-line treatment option in high-risk women. Evidence Acquisition An electronic literature search for relevant studies was conducted using keywords (CI, cervical cerclage) on the MEDLINE database. Results Although transabdominal cerclage (TAC) is reserved as a second-line treatment option over transvaginal cerclage (TVC), it has some advantages over TVC: a higher placement of..