Contents:
- Medical Video: How Do Birth Abnormalities of the Uterus Affect Pregnancy?
- Septate uterus, a long-divided uterine deformity
- Why are uterine abnormalities for women prone to miscarriage?
- How is uterine septate diagnosed?
- Can this uterine abnormality be treated?
Medical Video: How Do Birth Abnormalities of the Uterus Affect Pregnancy?
The uterus or uterus is an important organ to accommodate pregnancy for nine months. The uterus is generally shaped like a pear. But in fact, there are a handful of women who have an abnormal uterine shape. Uterine deformities such as septate uterus can make it difficult for women to get pregnant and increase the risk of miscarriage. What is uterine septate, and how can this uterine abnormality cause miscarriage?
Septate uterus, a long-divided uterine deformity
Uterine septate is a uterine deformity that causes the inside of a woman's uterus to be divided into two pathways by the layer of muscle wall or fibrous connective tissue membrane (septum). The septum can only partially or completely divide the uterus. The network can also thicken and thin out.
In order to more clearly differentiate between normal and non-uterine forms, see the illustration below.
Uterine septate is a congenital condition, quoted from Very Well Family. Women who have a septate uterus are at risk of miscarriage up to 25-47%, while the risk of miscarriage in women with normal uterine forms ranges from 15 to 20 percent.
Why are uterine abnormalities for women prone to miscarriage?
In order for pregnancy to occur, the fertilized egg by sperm (zygote) will stick to the inner wall of the uterus to continue to develop into a fetus. Optimal fetal growth and development should be supported by oxygenated blood flow and nutrient intake that passes through the placenta.
The fibrous septum tissue and does not have a blood supply will block the placenta from being able to channel enough nutrients to the fetus. Fetuses that don't get enough nutrients will eventually stop developing. So, a miscarriage can occur.
In addition, abnormalities in the uterus also increase the risk of the following conditions:
- Premature labor.
- Position of breech baby.
- Give birth to a caesarean.
- Complications of bleeding after childbirth.
How is uterine septate diagnosed?
Uterine septate does not cause any symptoms so it is rarely detected early until pregnancy occurs. Moreover, this uterine abnormality is often misdiagnosed by bicornuate uterus, an abnormal form of the uterus that looks like a horn.
Most likely, uterine septate can be identified after repeated miscarriages.
To get the right diagnosis, you need to undergo an MRI and ultrasound test followed by a hysterosalpingogram (uterine x-ray) or hiteroscopy.
Can this uterine abnormality be treated?
The septum that divides the uterus will not increase the risk of cancer. But if you want to get pregnant successfully, the only way to deal with uterine deformities is by surgery to correct the shape.
The operation is performed using a hysteroscopy which is inserted into the vagina through the cervix so that it reaches the uterus. Then, another device will also be inserted to cut and lift the septum that divides the uterus. This operation is also called metroplasti hysteroscopy.
The success rate of this procedure reaches 50-80% in women who experience recurrent miscarriages due to uterine deformity. After that, the woman can have a healthy pregnancy.
