Lower uterine segment thickness in assessing whether cesarean scar pregnancy patients could be treated with suction curettage

Abstract

Background: To find a suitable indicator in selecting appropriate patients with cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) for treatment with ultrasound-guided suction curettage alone.Methods: A retrospective review of all women with CSP treated at the Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, China, between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015 was conducted. The women were grouped according to the following management options: ultrasound-guided suction curettage only (Group 1); combination with other therapeutic options (Group 2). The clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed.Results: Of 174 patients with lower uterine segment myometrium thickness ≥0.2 cm, 93 (53.4%) patients underwent ultrasound-guided suction curettage only, 81 (46.6%) patients underwent a combination with other therapeutics. Clinical characteristics of women who underwent ultrasound-guided suction curettage alone did not significantly differ from those who were treated with combination. Intraoperative blood loss and length of stay differed significantly between the two groups.Conclusions: In appropriate CSP cases with lower uterine segment myometrium thickness more than 0.2 cm, ultrasound-guided suction curettage appears to be a reliable treatment option producing satisfying success rates, lower blood loss, and a shorter hospital-stay compared to combined therapies.