[Emergency cervical cerclage during mid-trimester of pregnancy: Experience of Clermont-Ferrand]

The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with favourable perinatal outcome after emergency cervical cerclage during mid-trimester of pregnancy.

This is a retrospective study of all cases who underwent emergency cervical cerclage between 16 to 28 weeks of gestation (WG) over a period of 16 years in a University Hospital.

Among the 32 cases, the postnatal survival rate (day 28) was 80%. Delivery occurred at a mean gestational age of 33.1 WG [18-41.3 WG] and after 37 WG in 39% of cases. The perinatal outcome was improved by absence of bleeding (P=0.01), unripened cervix (P=0.02), cervical dilatation below 2 cm (P=0.002), no protruding membranes (P=0.02) and more advanced gestational age at the procedure (P=0.005). When no uterine contraction and no maternal blood inflammation were observed at admission, an expectancy of 48 hours before the procedure did not improve significantly perinatal outcome (gestational age at birth and survival rate [P=0.1 and P=0.3 respectively]).

Perinatal outcome after emergency cerclage depends on cervical status and gestational age at procedure. It is not influenced by an expectancy of 48 hours before intervention for patients with no uterine contraction and no maternal blood inflammation at admission.