Cervical Suture

Under normal circumstances, the cervix should remain tightly closed until labour occurs. Cervical Suture or Cerclage is a surgical procedure whereby a stitch is inserted into the cervix (neck of the womb) to keep it closed. This is used to treat a condition where the cervix has become prematurely open and there is a risk of miscarriage or premature birth. There are several reasons why this may happen, but in women who have previously had surgery to their cervix, one or more miscarriages after 12 weeks or one or more premature births, it may be because the cervix is weak. The procedure is usually performed at about 12 weeks of pregnancy, but in some cases it is done before pregnancy.

There are 3 main types of Cerclage to consider:

• Macdonald and Shirodkar cerclage are performed by operating from the vagina.
• An Abdominal Cerclage involves a bikini-line cut to the abdomen.

An occlusion stitch is inserted vaginally and offered to all patients undergoing Cervical Cerclage. This aims to hold the mucus plug in position in the cervix for as long as possible.

Please contact the Clinic on 02073495204 for further information.