Surgical uterine evacuation in patients with two cervices: a case series

To describe the clinical circumstances, surgical approach, intraoperative challenges, and outcomes of patients with two cervices undergoing uterine evacuation for spontaneous, incomplete, or induced abortion at our institution.

We used diagnostic and procedure codes related to uterine anomalies and uterine evacuation to identify patients with cervical duplication who underwent uterine evacuation at Penn Medicine from January 2008 to December 2020.

We identified 15 patients with cervical duplication in whom we performed uterine evacuations during 19 pregnancies. We describe in detail each patient's first pregnancy with uterine evacuation at our institution, of which providers performed 11 in the first trimester, and four in the second trimester. Ten patients had a known diagnosis of cervical duplication prior to pregnancy. Five patients did not have a diagnosis of cervical duplication prior to pregnancy and providers newly made this diagnosis intraoperatively either at our institution or referring clinics. Providers at outside institutions referred three patients to our institution for incomplete procedures. At our institution, one patient had a procedure notable for a major complication. Eight other cases were notable for surgical challenges including difficulty placing osmotic dilators, difficulty identifying the correct cervix for local anesthesia, and contralateral cervical and uterine horn instrumentation.

This case series suggests surgical abortion in patients with two cervices is rare, but generally safe. The majority of patients did not have major complications, despite presenting a variety of unique procedural challenges. Surgical providers were sometimes the first to make the diagnosis of a second cervix.

Uterine evacuation providers must be aware of the possibility of an undiagnosed cervical duplication, particularly when encountering surgical challenges in patients with congenital reproductive tract anomalies. Providers should consider procedures under ultrasound guidance regardless of gestational age for patients with any congenital reproductive tract anomaly or who had prior incomplete procedures.