Preterm birth is one of the causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality. The traditional treatment for a short cervix has been the cerclage in addition with the progesterone administration. Recently, the idea of using vaginal pessaries as a new less invasive method of treatment for the same indication is under discussion. The case of a 29-year-old pregnant woman with an extremely short cervix and the treatment, she underwent during her second pregnancy, is presented. In order to avoid a preterm delivery the patient was treated with the use of a vaginal pessary. After the placement of the pessary and its removal after 37 weeks of gestation, a full term delivery was performed. The pessary was symptom free throughout. In conclusion, the cervical pessary may offer a safe and easy alternative to cerclage for the treatment of cervical insufficiency and prevention of preterm birth.
Keywords: Cervical cerclage; Preterm birth; Short cervix; Vaginal pessary.