Functional and Reproductive Outcomes Following Surgical Management of Congenital Anomalies of the Cervix: A Systematic Review

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate surgical treatment for malformations of the cervix in terms of short- and long-term postoperative function and relevant reproductive outcomes.

Data sources: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (ID No CRD42019128899). Electronic databases were searched for eligible studies up to October 2019 on Medline/PubMed (1966-2019), Scopus/Elsevier (1950-2019), and Google Scholar (up to 2019). Search terms included "congenital cervical malformations/anomalies," "uterocervical aplasia/dysgenesis/agenesis," "cervical aplasia/dysgenesis/ agenesis," "müllerian anomalies/dysgenesis/agenesis," "utero-vaginal anastomosis," "cervical reconstruction," "uterocervical reconstruction/canalization," "cervical canalization," "reproductive/pregnancy/functional outcome," "menstruation," "pregnancy," and "regular periods."

Methods of study selection: Studies were chosen and included with clear description of preoperative diagnosis via sonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and surgical confirmation; assessment and clear description of gynecologic anatomy and any concomitant anomalies; meticulous description of the operative technique; follow-up of at least 6 weeks postoperatively; and postoperative end points including menstrual and reproductive outcomes. We included randomized controlled trials, case-control studies (both prospective and retrospective), and case reports. Data registries, studies without clearly described primary or secondary outcomes, and studies not in the English language were excluded from the analyses.

Tabulation, integration, and results: The literature search returned 745 studies; 546 records were initially excluded (397 not related to the topic, 15 not related to humans, 134 non-English language); 111 full-text articles were further excluded (patients underwent hysterectomy or no surgery); 88 studies with a total of 249 patients were suitable for analysis. Almost all patients had preoperative amenorrhea (248/249, 99.6%). Postoperatively, of 249 patients, resolution of menstruation occurred in 228 patients (91.6%), and hysterectomy was performed in 22 patients (8.8%); overall, there were 30 (12.0%) conceptions that resulted in 27 (10.8%) viable and 24 (9.6%) term pregnancies. Indications for hysterectomy were stenosis of the genital tract and sepsis. Coexisting vaginal agenesis and use of full thickness skin graft for creation of neocervix was associated with negative surgical outcomes.

Conclusion: This review suggests that conservative surgical approaches result in better clinical and reproductive outcomes than more aggressive reconstructive surgeries for patients with malformations of the cervix.