Ultrasound evaluation of sutures following cervical cerclage for incompetent cervix uteri.

This prospective study was designed to determine whether it is possible to visualize cerclage suture material by ultrasound and to evaluate the clinical usefulness of ultrasound examination after cervical cerclage during pregnancy. Ultrasound examinations demonstrated suture material in all patients in this study. The 5-mm-wide Mersiline tape suture, used in the Shirodkar procedure, was easier to visualize by ultrasound than the no. 2 nylon suture used in the McDonald procedure. Ultrasound examination can be helpful in evaluating the location and effectiveness of the sutures and in detecting protrusion of the membranes beyond the sutures before it is clinically apparent. The sonographic demonstration of the relationship of the protruding membranes to the level of the sutures can be valuable in patient management.