Pregnancy Outcomes According to Cervical Cerclage Indications and Factors Affecting Pregnancy Duration and Outcomes

This study retrospectively reviewed data from pregnant women who underwent cerclage from July 2021 to July 2023 in Çam and Sakura City Hospital, which is a perinatal medical center in Istanbul, Turkey. The local ethics committee approved the study.

All procedures followed the relevant guidelines and regulations of the institutional ethics review board and the Declaration of Helsinki.

The patients were divided into three subgroups for data analysis. Group 1 included patients with history-indicated cerclage, who had second-trimester pregnancy loss associated with painless cervical dilatation in the absence of labor or placental abruption, or previous cerclage due to painless cervical dilatation in the second trimester. Group 2 comprised patients with ultrasound-indicated cerclage, who had a history of spontaneous preterm birth before the 34th week previously and their cervical length (CL) was <25 mm before the 24th week of gestation in the current singleton pregnancy, or who had <10 mm cervical length in the current singleton pregnancy without history. Group 3 consisted of patients undergoing rescue cerclage, who had premature cervical dilatation and exposure of fetal membranes in the vagina, was detected in ultrasound or speculum examination of the cervix. All cervical cerclage procedures were performed by a senior obstetrician using the McDonald technique with Mersilene tape or No:1 proline. The investigators collected the following data from medical records: maternal age at cervical cerclage, gravidity, parity, body mass index, history of a cervical cone biopsy, history of premature birth and cervical cerclage, procalcitonin level, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, gestational age at cerclage, pre-and post-cerclage CL, week of birth, pregnancy complications (preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM), abruptio placenta, chorioamnionitis). The investigators defined successful cerclage as postponing birth until after the 28th week of gestation and a 'good outcome' was defined as delivery beyond 34 completed weeks. The indications and the pregnancy outcomes (miscarriage, gestational age at delivery, birth weight, prolongation of pregnancy, and rate of preterm birth before 34 weeks) of cervical cerclage were reviewed and the factors associated with successful cervical cerclage were analyzed.

Moreover, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to calculate the pre-cerclage and post-cerclage CL cut-off value required to predict if birth could be postponed birth until after the 28th week of gestation in women with cervical insufficiency (CI). Thus, the investigators extracted significant factors for a successful cervical cerclage for long-term pregnancy sustenance in women with CI.

Inclusion criteria

• Pregnants that underwent cervical cerclage between July 2021 and July 2023 with singleton pregnancies

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant women without follow-up whose post-procedure data cannot be accessed
• Multiple pregnancies