Persistence Pays Off: Live Birth after Uterus Transplant, Overcoming Recurrent Pregnancy Loss with Cerclage Placement

Abstract

Recipients of uterus transplantation have unique factors that may increase their risk of cervical insufficiency. This report describes a uterus transplant recipient with cervical insufficiency resulting in two second-trimester miscarriages. After McDonald cerclages (one that failed), she underwent an interval transabdominal cerclage and delivered a healthy term child in her third pregnancy. The longitudinal information of this case provides observations from which we can propose testable hypotheses that address venous outflow and inflammation. This case also suggests that there could be a role for prophylactic cerclage placement at the time of transplantation.

Keywords

• cerclage
• cervical insufficiency
• graft rejection
• inflammation
• uterus transplantation
• venous outflow