THE LONG TERM EFFECT OF LIPPES LOOP ON THE IN VIVO MOTILITY PATTERNS OF THE NON-PREGNANT HUMAN UTERUS

Abstract

In order to study the long-term effect of Lippes loop on the myometrium uterine activity was recorded in 10 subjects with the loop in situ for at least 3 years using the open end catheter technique. In investigating the effect of the loop on the motility patterns in the proliferative phase of the cycle throughout anovulatory cycles and during the first 4 to 5 days following ovulation it was determined that the loop did not influence the myometrial activity pattern in this phase in either the first cycles after insertion or in cycles 3 years after insertion. After the fourth or fifth postovulatory day precocious development of prelabor-like activity was observed a few days earlier than in the absence of the loop. This precocious development was noted in all the 9 women with ovulatory cycles. It has been suggested that the development of precocious prelabor-like activity only in the luteal phase indicates that progesterone in the non-pregnant woman increases the myometrial sensitivity to mechanical stimuli.