A Retrospective Analysis of Cervical Cerclage Outcomes in a Low-Income Country

Abstract

Background: Cervical incompetence (CI) is a common cause of mid-trimester pregnancy loss. Clinical evidence has demonstrated the role of cervical cerclage in reducing preterm births alongside engendering successful maternal and foetal outcomes in carefully selected women with cervical incompetence. This study aimed at determining foetal and maternal outcomes in women with cervical incompetence after elective cervical cerclage. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 88 patients who had elective cervical cerclage at the University College Hospital, Ibadan (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria between January 2015 to December 2017. Data from the case records of these patients were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22. Descriptive analysis was generated and summarized with the aid of pie chart, bar chart and frequency tables. Chi-square statistic was used in testing for associations between categorical variables. Results: The mean age was 32.5 ± 4.2 years. Most of the women (78%) had cervical cerclage performed between 14 -16 weeks’ gestation. The most observed complication was pre-term contractions (76.2%). Eighteen women (20.5%) had a miscarriage and 50 women (56.8%) had term deliveries. The mean gestational age (GA) at delivery was 34.1 ± 5.8 weeks. Maternal complications, use of tocolytics and duration of hospital stay had a significant influence on the gestational age at delivery (p<0.005). Conclusion: Cervical cerclage is an effective surgical procedure for preventing and delaying preterm births in women with cervical incompetence evidenced by a successful outcome in 56.8% of cases depicted in this study. Its use in a low-income country with high rates of preventable pregnancy wastages cannot be over-emphasized.