Safety and feasibility of trial of labor in pregnant women with cesarean scar diverticulum

Objective Literature on trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC) in women with isthmoceles is scarce because of complications associated with the procedure. This study investigated TOLAC's safety and feasibility in patients with isthmoceles. Methods The study group comprised 34 pregnant wo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiuqiong Zheng, Jianying Yan, Zhaozhen Liu, Xuechun Wang, Rongli Xu, Liying Li, Zhi Lin, Lianghui Zheng, Min Liu, Yan Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2020-09-01
Series:Journal of International Medical Research
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/0300060520954993
Description
Summary:Objective Literature on trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC) in women with isthmoceles is scarce because of complications associated with the procedure. This study investigated TOLAC's safety and feasibility in patients with isthmoceles. Methods The study group comprised 34 pregnant women with isthmoceles who vaginally delivered. The control group comprised 102 pregnant women without isthmoceles who vaginally delivered during the same period. Scar diverticula were measured using color Doppler ultrasonography; between-group delivery outcomes were compared. Results Of the study group patients, 27/34 had isthmoceles diagnosed by ultrasound before pregnancy. Nineteen (70.37%) of these patients had mild defects and eight (29.63%) had moderate defects. The scar diverticula's mean length, depth, and width were 1.05 ± 0.62, 0.54 ± 0.28, and 1.20 ± 0.70 cm, respectively. The residual muscle layer's mean thickness was 0.27 ± 0.07 cm. The mean diverticulum depth/residual muscular thickness ratio was 2.39 ± 2.58. The duration of the first stage of labor was significantly shorter and the neonatal weight was significantly lower in the study group than control group. Conclusion Successful vaginal delivery is possible for women with mild and moderate isthmoceles. Further large-scale studies are needed to improve TOLAC's safety in pregnant women with isthmoceles.
ISSN:1473-2300