BACKGROUND Little information exists regarding the best anesthesia method for emergency cerclage. This single-center study aimed to compare the outcomes following general anesthesia and spinal anesthesia during emergency cervical cerclage in women in the second trimester of a singleton pregnancy. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 297 pregnant patients were recruited: 141 patients were assigned to the general anesthesia group and 156 patients were assigned to the spinal anesthesia group. Periprocedural data and obstetric outcomes were recorded and statistically analyzed. RESULTS Average duration of the cerclage procedure was shorter in the general anesthesia group than in the spinal anesthesia group (25.78±9.4 min versus 30.88±10.5 min; P<0.05). No severe maternal complications, such as hematosepsis or maternal death, occurred after the procedure for either group. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and C-reactive protein (CRP) increased after emergency cerclage in both groups, but at no time did the 2 groups differ significantly (P>0.05). There was also no significant difference in the incidence of miscarriage or preterm delivery (delivery <34 gestational weeks) or in neonatal outcome between the 2 groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study showed that there were no significant differences in maternal and neonatal outcomes, rates of miscarriage, or preterm delivery between general anesthesia and spinal anesthesia during emergency cervical cerclage in women in the second trimester of a singleton pregnancy.