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Background: Transabdominal cerclage can reduce the risk of preterm birth in women with cervical insufficiency. Aims: This study evaluated outcomes following insertion of a laparoscopic transabdominal cerclage in pregnant women. Materials and methods: A retrospective observational study. Patients: pregnant women who underwent laparoscopic transabdominal cerclage from 2011 to 2017. Eligible women had cervical insufficiency and were not suitable for a transvaginal cerclage. Intervention: the insertion of a laparoscopic transabdominal cerclage in the pregnancy. Measurements: neonatal survival, delivery of an infant at ≥34 weeks gestation and surgical morbidity were evaluated. Results: Of 19 women who underwent laparoscopic transabdominal cerclage in pregnancy, at 6–11 weeks gestation, the perinatal survival rate was 100%. There were no complications. The average gestational age at delivery was 37.1 weeks. Sixteen women delivered after 34 weeks. Conclusions: Laparoscopic transabdominal cerclage is a safe and effective procedure in women with poor obstetric histories. It requires the correct skill, expertise and patient selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical insufficiency is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Cervical cerclage is one option in the management of cervical insufficiency. Aim: To evaluate obstetric outcomes following insertion of a pre‐pregnancy laparoscopic transabdominal cerclage in women at high risk for pre‐term labour and/or mid‐trimester pregnancy loss. Methods: A prospective observational study of consecutive women who underwent laparoscopic transabdominal cerclage from 2007 to 2017. Eligible women had a diagnosis of cervical insufficiency based on previous obstetric history and/or a short or absent cervix and were considered not suitable for a transvaginal cerclage. The primary outcome was neonatal survival and the secondary outcome was delivery of an infant at ≥34 weeks gestation. Surgical morbidity and complications were also evaluated. Results: During the study period, 225 women underwent laparoscopic transabdominal cerclage. We present the outcomes of 121 pregnancies resulting in 125 babies. The perinatal survival rate of viable pregnancies was 98.5% with a mean gestational age at delivery of 35.2 weeks; 79.7% of babies were delivered at ≥34.0 weeks gestation. Conclusion: Laparoscopic transabdominal cerclage is a safe and effective procedure resulting in favourable obstetric outcomes in women with a poor obstetric history. For optimal success the procedure requires the correct surgical expertise, equipment and appropriate patient selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]