Failed cervical cerclage- really need some guidance

[heenasapa23]

Hi I lost my baby girl last year in September at 19 weeks and 3 days due to bulging membranes and incompetent cervix. We were so pleased when we conceived again after 3 months and this time opted for the cervical stitch although the same again happened. My membranes were bulging past the stitch and they had to cut the stitch. I delivered very prematurely and lost our second baby girl at 24 weeks and 5 days.

I would really like to hear stories of people who have been in similar situations and whether there are any success stories for people like me. The doctors have suggested they may need to do a tea abdominal cerclage the next time but it think that's very rare. Just need info on whether anyone has had that done before, whether it was successful and where did they get it done

Thank you for reading my post

I'm so sorry to hear this. I have an abdominal stitch and I am 29 weeks and going strong. It was placed at 12 weeks due to previous cervical cancer. I know (virtually) lots of ladies who have sadly been through what you have but have had success with the abdominal cerclage (TAC).

Have you found the abbeyloopers site? It's all about TACs and the associated Facebook site is great for support and guidance.

There is a UK support group too, as the US one isn't always suitable. If you send me your email I can get you added to the group. TACs have excellent success rates (90%+) at getting you past 35 weeks and if not that far then at least further along than you would naturally to improve the chances of healthy survival.

The stitch itself is majorish surgery but recovery is easy, and I know some women who got pregnant the next cycle. The surgery requires a c-section like cut, but as there is no major cutting inside, just adding the band, then recovery is easier. I've had a few surgeries and it was painful for a few weeks, but not as bad as others.

Hope you are coping OK. If nothing else than the support groups understand the heartache and can offer a sympathetic ear.

Heenasapa - I'm so sorry. That must have been heartbreaking or you, twice over.

I had a cervical stitch for each of my two final two pregnancies (both children born healthy at 39 weeks by elective c-section). I had the stitch inserted during the first trimester (I think at about 13 weeks).

thank you ladies for taking the time out to reply to my thread. its still really fresh at the moment and a would be a liar if i said i havnt thought about the future and whether there is a solution. i dont think i could go through it emotionally another time. other half doesnt even want to talk about it, his way of dealing with things is very different to mine. he tend to block out everything in his head and goes into a world of his own.

belloc may i just ask did you have the cervical stitch which or the transabdominal stitch? and how did you cope with recovery after a c section?

"time2deal" you've been really helpful. where did you have your TAC placed and by which consultant. i would eventually like to meet a few different surgeons who specialise in this and fingers crossed in the future be sure of exactly whom i will go ahead with. and thank you for sharing the abbyloopers site with me, i have filled out the registration form just waiting to be approved my one of the members.

I've found the support groups invaluable, something I avoided in the past as it wasn't 'me'. But having people who have shared the experience is more helpful than I ever expected.

I had mine placed by nick Wales at Chelsea and Westminster, as an NHS patient. Where are you - I have a list available of all surgeons. It isn't sorry common but enough surgeons do it now. However it's better if you can get someone with experience as placement isn't easy.

The Facebook group 'UK TAC Support' is where you can get lots of information about the surgeons and success stories, and the odd failure, in the UK. Its a closed group but just ask to join when you feel ready.

*that common. Not sorry common!

im in birmingham although dont mind travelling to get the cerclage insterted in. so because of my history and failed TVC experience i would probably qualify on the NHS as well right?

i have heard they can cost upto 8000 pounds privately and thats something i cannot imagine paying within the next few years.

You have to get referred, but no reason you can't have it done by the NHS. Sounds like your doctors are already recommending it, and with two late losses you should pass the sad criteria to require one.

Here is the Birmingham doc on the list:
BIRMINGHAM
Mr Afifi - Birmingham Womens Hospital
TEL: 0121 472 1377
Ladies have been referred by consultants from surrounding areas and through their GPs.
Mr Afifi also performs laparoscopic TAC placement.

But I think the Liverpool guy is more experienced.
LIVERPOOL
Mr. Farquarson & Miss Dawood - Liverpool Womens Hospital
TEL: 0151 708 9988
Ladies have been referred by consultants or by their GPs in some instances.

My consultant strongly preferred open surgery to laproscopic. He said the placement is somewhat done by 'feel' and when done laproscopically you can't do this so much. The success rate also isn't as high.

It may feel counterintuitive but I don't find the recovery from open vs laproscopic surgery much different. They have different issues, one isn't much easier than the other, although you probably have more internal scarring with the open version.

I had cervical stitch both times, that's possibly not helpful to you if you are going the TAC route. Do you know what sort of cervical stitch you had? . I lost my third child in similar circumstances to you (at 23weeks). It was heartbreaking (the birth, holding his little body, his death, registering his birth and his death together on the same day. And then having to have a funeral. And then the gulf that widened daily between my former husband and me.) I had two preceding pregnancies which I carried to term. So the event was a huge surprise. They thought it was a one off and unexplained. Then when I fell pregnant again a few years later I divorced and remarried in the interim (so be sure to tell your husband to bloody well talk to you as our marriage collapsed under the massive strain of our mismatched coping strategies) they decided to monitor me just in case and at abt 14 weeks they found my cervix was already starting to open. Terrifying. So I was booked for a stitch the following day. They removed the stitch at the same time as the elective c-section. And the same for my final baby (I have 4 alive children). Although they did the stitch without waiting for signs of things going wrong.

I hope you are looking after yourself and have people you can talk to. X

C-sections v quick to recover from.

I presume you know, but with a TAC you can't give birth naturally, and the pregnancy will be higher risk. Some people go fully to term with no complications or bedrest, but you will be given a c-section and they don't want you go into labour so probably a few weeks earlier than normal. Some, like me, are having a few issues and I'm on modified bedrest, but still expected to get close to term. I can be hard, but not as hard as what you have been though.

The stitch is permanent and not usually removed at all as your body will grow around it inside your abdomen. It can be 'used' more than once though.

Heena, I am so sorry for your losses, it's such a terrible thing to go through and I can imagine it's still very raw now. Sending you and your husband strength and courage at this dark time.

I currently have a cervical and occlusion stitch placed at 13 weeks (after losing twins at 18 weeks in Nov-14). It was placed by Nick Wales at Chelsea and Westminster (who also placed Time2Deal's TAC) on the NHS. I can highly recommend him from my experience - he's very straight forward and you can email him directly and he replies promptly (although briefly). His details are on the hospital website. C&W is not my local hospital but all i needed was a GP referral to see him.

Nick Wales really champions the TAC, but mostly pre-pregnancy.

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