Premium
Preoperative Cervical Dilatation: A Trial of Laminaria Tents and Prostaglandin F α2 Gel
Author(s) -
Morris N. D.,
McCallum G. I.,
Hammond L.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/j.1479-828x.1986.tb01525.x
Subject(s) - laminaria , medicine , cervix , pregnancy , cervical dilatation , obstetrics , abortion , surgery , blood loss , biology , ecology , genetics , cancer , algae
Summary: Surgical damage to the cervix in patients undergoing termination of pregnancy may be responsible for serious complications in subsequent pregnancies. Sixty nulliparous women undergoing first trimester termination of pregnancy were randomly allocated to 3 treatment groups, one using laminaria tents preop‐eratively, one using intracervical PGF 2α gel preoperatively and one using no pre‐treatment. Results showed clear benefits in the laminaria group, in terms of achieving preoperative cervical dilatation and ease of further operative dilatation. Laminaria tents were superior to PGF 2α gel which was, in turn, superior to no pretreatment. There were no differences in blood loss or postoperative complications among the 3 groups. Laminaria tents provide a cheap, effective and safe method of reducing the risk of cervical damage in women undergoing surgical termination of pregnancy.