Does surgery improve live birth rates in patients with recurrent miscarriage caused by uterine anomalies?

J Obstet Gynaecol. 2015 Feb;35(2):155-8. doi: 10.3109/01443615.2014.936839. Epub 2014 Jul 24.

Abstract

We found that congenital uterine anomalies have a negative impact on reproductive outcome in recurrent-miscarriage couples, being associated with further miscarriage with a normal embryonic karyotype. There has been no study comparing live birth rates between patients with and without surgery. We conducted a prospective study to prove that surgery for a bicornuate or septate uterus might improve the live birth rate. A total of 170 patients with congenital uterine anomalies suffering two or more miscarriages were examined. The live birth rate after ascertainment of anomalies, cumulative live birth rate and infertility rate, were compared between patients with and without surgery. In patients with a septate uterus, the live birth rate (81.3%) at the first pregnancy after ascertainment of anomalies with surgery tended to be higher than that (61.5%) in those without surgery. The infertility rates were similar in both groups, while the cumulative live birth rate (76.1%) tended to be higher than without surgery (60.0%). Surgery showed no benefit in patients with a bicornuate uterus for having a baby, but tended to decrease the preterm birth rate and the low birth weight. The possibility that surgery has benefits for having a baby in patients with a septate uterus suffering recurrent miscarriage could not be excluded.

Keywords: Bicornuate uterus; congenital uterine anomaly; metroplasty; recurrent pregnancy loss; septate uterus.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Habitual / epidemiology*
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Low Birth Weight
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infertility, Female / epidemiology
  • Live Birth / epidemiology*
  • Pregnancy
  • Premature Birth / epidemiology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Urogenital Abnormalities / surgery
  • Uterus / abnormalities*
  • Uterus / surgery*