Vaginal Repair of Cesarean Section Scar Diverticula Diagnosed in Non-pregnant Women

Cesarean section scar diverticulum (CSD) lead to many long-term complications. CSD is more prevalent in patients with a retroflexed uterus than in those with an anteflexed uterus. Therefore, we wanted to estimate the association between flexion of the uterus and the outcome of treatment for CSD treated by vaginal repair.

Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

University hospital.

A total of 241 women with a CSD were enrolled at the Shanghai First Maternity & Infant Hospital between May 2014 and Oct 2016.

Vaginal excision and suture of CSD.

A high failure rate was reported in remodeling of the scar by other surgeries in women with retroflexed uteri. Clinical information was obtained from medical records. Because intermenstrual bleeding was a presenting symptom of CSD, duration of menstruation was compared between groups. Patients were required to be followed at 1, 3, and 6 months to record their menstruation situation and to measure the CSD. The thickness of the residual myometrium (TRM) in the retroflexion group was much thinner than that in the anteflexion group before treatment (2.5 ± 1.2 mm vs 2.9 ± 1.1 mm, p < .05). There was no statistical difference in pretreatment menstruation duration between groups (p > .05). The duration of menstruation in the anteflexion group was 8.2 ± 2.1 days and 8.5 ± 2.1 days and in the retroflexion group was 7.6 ± 2.0 days and 7.7 ± 3.1 days at 3 and 6 months after surgery, respectively (p < .05). In all 58.6% of patients (140/239) who had a retroflexed uterus, 60.0% (84/140) reached ≤7 days of menstruation at 6 months after surgery (p < .05). Although about 40% patients still had CSD after repair, menstruation duration and TRM were improved significantly (p < .05).

We propose that vaginal repair can relieve symptoms and improve TRM for CSD patients, especially for those who have a retroflexed uterus. However, 40% of patients still had a defect postoperatively.