[Cervical ripening with balloon catheter for scared uterus: a three-year retrospective study]

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate, for women with scared uterus, the mechanical cervical ripening with balloon catheter.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of our practice of ripening for scared uterus from january 2010 to august 2012. Feasibility, Bishop's score, birth modalities and complications for mothers and babies during this ripening were studied.

Results: Thirty-nine medical files were analysed. All patients could have mechanical ripening independently of the internal os status (open or not). The cervical ripening with balloon catheter improved Bishop's score before induction of labour, from 3.54 ± 1.23 to 5.38 ± 1.47 (p=0.02). 64.1% of women had a vaginal delivery. Concerning the predictive factors for vaginal delivery, we only found significant influence of a body mass index less than 30kg/m² (p=0.03). We didn't find any maternal or neonatal complications in our population.

Conclusion: Mechanical ripening for scared uterus seems to be a useful option to improve vaginal delivery without increasing maternal and foetal morbidity. Anyway, these results have to be confirmed by a randomized controlled trial on a specific scared uterus population.

Keywords: Balloon catheter; Cervical ripening; Déclenchement du travail; Induction of labor; Maturation cervicale; Scared uterus; Sonde à ballonnet(s); Utérus cicatriciel.