ABSTRACT
To study the efficacy of cervical cerclage using McDonald's technique in prevention of preterm deliveries. Study Design: Quasi- experimental study. September 2008 to January, 2010 in CMH Mardan. Patients with singleton pregnancy having a history of one or more second trimester losses were selected on the basis of history, physical examination and ultrasound assessment of cervical length with a cut off of 2.5cm. Patients in advanced labor, fetal anomalies, polyhydramnios, or chorioamnionitis were excluded. Cervical cerclage using the McDonald's technique was applied at 14 - 22 weeks of gestation under general anesthesia and later removed after 37 completed weeks or when the patient went into labor. A total of 52 patients were included. The rate of term deliveries was 80.77% while preterm were 19.23%. The live baby rate was 96.15% with a neonatal morbidity of 3.85%. The average prolongation in the gestation was 20.34 weeks. Most of the patients delivered normally with minimal rate of complications. The use of cervical cerclage in patients with short cervices as assessed by examination and ulrasound scan is effective in preventing preterm births and prolonging gestations