Preterm Birth Prevention

Transabdominal Cerclage (TAC)

A transabdominal cerclage (TAC) may be an option for women who have:

  1. Failed a prior history-indicated cerclage
  2. A history of cervical trauma
  3. Anatomy that prevents transvaginal cerclage

At the PPC, counseling regarding TAC placement is performed in conjunction with a maternal-fetal medicine physician and minimally-invasive gynecologic surgeon. TAC placement is an abdominal operation, but can generally be done robotically to reduce operative complications and enhance recovery time. It can be placed both prior to and after conception. All subsequent pregnancies need to be delivered by cesarean section, and the TAC can be left in place in between pregnancies. For more information about the impact of robotic techniques on TAC placement, watch a brief video below featuring Dr. Arnold Advincula, Chief of Gynecologic Specialty Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Advancing the Transabdominal Cerclage Through Robotics

For more information and footage of the procedure, watch “Interval Robotic-Assisted Abdominal Cerclage: Simplifying the Complex” on our YouTube Channel. Please note you must be logged in to your YouTube account as the video is age-restricted.