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Updated: Aug 14, 2026
The 4-vessel Sampling Approach to Integrative Studies of Human Placental Physiology In Vivo
Published on: August 2, 2017
How painful are amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling?
Akos Csaba1, Melissa C Bush, Carl Saphier
1First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, H-1088, Hungary.
Objectives:
To compare the levels of pain and anxiety associated with amniocentesis (AC), transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (TA-CVS), and transcervical chorionic villus sampling (TC-CVS).
Methods:
We prospectively administered a questionnaire about pain and anxiety to 124 women undergoing AC, 40 undergoing TA-CVS, and 24 undergoing TC-CVS for singleton pregnancies. The level of pain was quantified with numerical and pictorial scales and the degree of anxiety was quantified with a numerical scale (0-100 in increments of 10).
Results:
The mean pain score for TA-CVS, 41.4 +/- 18.1, was significantly higher than that for TC-CVS, 26.4 +/- 25.3, p = 0.008. The mean pain score for AC, 35.1 +/- 27.6, was intermediate. A higher degree of anxiety was associated with younger maternal age and nulliparity. A higher degree of anxiety was associated with a higher level of pain.
Conclusion:
In general, each procedure is associated with a tolerable amount of pain. TA-CVS appears to be the most painful procedure while TC-CVS appears to be the least painful procedure. In certain groups of patients, the procedures may be associated with higher levels of pain and/or anxiety.
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