Impact of transvaginal cervical cerclage on pregnancy outcomes in women with cervical incompetence

Abstract Objectives: The transvaginal cervical cerclage performed for the treatment of cervical incompetence (CI) may affect the pregnancy/birth outcomes. The study aims to investigate the clinical effects of transvaginal cervical cerclage at three different operation timings and analyze the factors associated with pregnancy and newborn outcomes. Methods: We used an improved U-shaped surgical method (patent number ZL 201320151440.8.) for the first time. 80 patients were divided into three groups based on operation timings: preventive (H), stress (U) and emergency (E) groups. These groups were compared in terms of surgical efficacy and factors affecting pregnancy outcomes. Results: The total pregnancy success rate of the subjects in this study was 80.0%. There was no significant difference in the rate of live birth, late miscarriage, premature birth, and neonatal occupancy among the groups. The 1-minute Apgar score in the H group was the greatest of the groups. Different factors like ureaplasma infection, hypothyroidism, assisted reproductive conception, C-reactive protein, gestational diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and BMI negatively affected pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions: The postoperative clinical effect of H group was better than that of U and E groups. The study concluded that our suture method and material were associated with better pregnancy and newborn outcomes among the groups.