Cervix Health Videos & Resources

It depends on the type of surgery you have, your overall health, and the goal of the surgery. Most people recover from a cerclage fairly quickly, though your provider may ask you to avoid strenuous activity for the rest of your pregnancy to lower the risk of early labour.

It will take longer to heal if the surgeon removes your cervix or takes out deep endometriosis lesions. Don't be afraid to ask your care team how much to rest and when you can get back to your usual routine.

Cervical insufficiency, sometimes called an incompetent cervix, is when the cervix starts to thin and open too early in pregnancy, before the baby is ready to be born. It's usually painless and doesn't bring on the contractions of real labour, so it can be hard to notice. Left unaddressed, it can sometimes lead to a late miscarriage or premature birth.

A cervical cerclage is a stitch a surgeon places around the cervix to hold it closed during pregnancy. It's the main treatment for cervical insufficiency, keeping the cervix shut so the pregnancy can continue.

Surgeons usually place a cerclage in the second trimester, and it helps save the pregnancy in up to 90% of cases. Your provider removes it later, when it's safe for labour to start.

Both procedures involve placing a stitch in the cervix, but the approach is different. In a vaginal cerclage, the surgeon works through the vaginal canal without making any cuts in your abdomen. In a laparoscopic cerclage, the surgeon places the stitch through a few small cuts in your lower belly, and it usually stays in permanently.

If you've had a vaginal cerclage that failed or caused side effects, there's a good chance your provider will recommend the laparoscopic approach next time, since it tends to hold more reliably.

Yes. Placing the stitch before pregnancy can be a good option if you have a history of premature delivery and miscarriage, or if events like these run in your family. Placing the stitch early means the surgeon doesn't have to operate while you're pregnant, which always carries additional risk.

The answer depends on how it was placed. Most of the time, a surgeon removes a vaginal cerclage around 37 to 39 weeks so labour can start naturally. A laparoscopic cerclage usually stays in for life, and in that case you'll have a cesarean delivery.

Either way, your care team will sort out the timing well before your due date.

In a trachelectomy, the surgeon removes your cervix but leaves the rest of your uterus in place. It's less invasive than a full hysterectomy and may preserve your ability to have children in the future.

Your gynecologist might recommend a trachelectomy if:

• You have early-stage cervical cancer

• Your cervix was left in place after an earlier hysterectomy

• You have an ongoing cervix problem and your uterus is still healthy

Surgeons can perform a trachelectomy robotically, laparoscopically, or through the vaginal canal.

Technically, the cervix doesn't have to come out during a hysterectomy. Some people opt to keep theirs because of the role it plays in sexual function, or simply to keep the procedure as minimal as possible.

Your provider might suggest removing it if you have:

• Ongoing bleeding or discharge

• Pelvic pain or pressure

• Abnormal cells on a Pap test

• Trouble urinating

If you still have yours and run into any of these problems, your provider can perform a laparoscopic trachelectomy to remove it.

Endometrial lesions can develop almost anywhere, including on or behind the cervix and into nearby areas like the bowel. This kind tends to hurt more and is harder to treat than endometriosis that stays on the surface.

If you have this, you might struggle with:

• Pain during bowel movements

• Pain during sex

• Worsening pain around your period

Endometriosis on the bowel takes real surgical skill to remove safely. You can see how one approach, the anterior rectal resection, works in our video library.

Some are, while others aren't. In laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon works through a few small cuts using a camera instead of one big opening, so you usually have less pain, smaller scars, and a quicker recovery than with open surgery. Not every case can be done this way, so your provider will tell you what's safest for you.

In most cases, yes, as long as the procedure leaves your uterus in place. Many cervical procedures are fertility-sparing, meaning surgeons design them to treat the problem while protecting your ability to have children later.

How each one affects pregnancy varies. A cerclage exists to hold a pregnancy in place. For early cervical cancer or deep endometriosis, surgeons can often use fertility-sparing techniques that keep your uterus and your ability to conceive intact. A trachelectomy removes the cervix but leaves the uterus, so carrying a pregnancy may still be possible, though you'd likely deliver by C-section.

If having children matters to you, tell your provider before you settle on a treatment. They can walk you through exactly how your specific option would affect a future pregnancy.

It's normal to have questions before any procedure, and a good talk with your provider makes a real difference. You might ask:

• Why they're recommending this approach

• What recovery will look like

• How it could affect a future pregnancy

Watching these videos first can help you know what to expect and think of questions to bring. There's no such thing as a silly question when it comes to your health.