Different Surgical Approaches to 313 Cesarean Scar Pregnancies

Abstract

Study objective: To evaluate the efficacy of different surgical treatments for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP).

Design: Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3).

Setting: Affiliated university hospitals.

Patients: Women (n = 313) with CSP.

Interventions: Dilation and curettage under ultrasound guidance (DCUS, n = 124), dilation and curettage with hysteroscopic guidance (DCH, n = 103), vaginal excision (n = 55), laparotomy (n = 12), and laparoscopy (n = 19).

Measurements and main results: Undetectable serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels and thickness of the uterine scar were measured before and after surgery. Success rates of the 5 surgical treatments of CSP (DCUS, DCH, vaginal excision, laparotomy, and laparoscopy) ranged between 89% and 100%. Postoperative treatment was not needed in the vaginal and laparotomy groups, and vaginal treatment was associated with shorter operative time than laparotomy and laparoscopy and shorter time to undetectable hCG levels than DCUS and DCH. Serum hCG levels on day 3 after surgery were significantly lower than baseline levels in all groups of patients, but there was no significant difference between levels on days 3 and 5 postoperatively. Median scar thickness after surgery in the vaginal surgery, laparotomy, and laparoscopy groups was thicker than that in the DCUS and DCH groups.

Conclusion: In certain circumstances, CSP can be treated simply by DCH or DCUS. However, time to undetectable hCG levels is prolonged compared with more invasive techniques.

Keywords: Cesarean scar pregnancy; Dilation and curettage; Laparoscopy; Laparotomy; Vaginal excision.