RETROFLEXION AND RETROVERSION OF THE UTERUS.
=Retroversion= of the uterus means a turning back or a backward
rotation of that organ. The shape of the uterus may not be altered.
The fundus, instead of lying forward upon the bladder, is directed
backward, and sometimes lies in the hollow of the sacrum (Fig. 86).
[Illustration: FIG. 86.--Retroversion of the uterus.]
=Retroflexion= means a bending backward of the uterine axis. The axis
of the body of the uterus is normally inclined forward at an obtuse
angle with the axis of the cervix. When the axis of the body of the
uterus is inclined backward at an angle with the axis of the cervix,
retroflexion exists. Retroflexion may vary in extent from an angle very
little less than 180 degrees to an angle considerably less than 90
degrees (Fig. 87).
[Illustration: FIG. 87.--Retroflexion of the uterus.]
Retroflexion and retroversion usually coexist. The conditions are due
to similar causes. They may originate simultaneously, or one condition,
occurring primarily, may induce the other.
An infinite number of degrees of retroversion may exist. For
convenience of clinical description three degrees have been described.
In the first degree the fundus uteri is directed upward approximately
toward the promontory of the sacrum. In the second degree the uterus
lies transversely across the pelvis, the fundus and the cervix being at
about the same level. In the third degree the retroversion is extreme,
and the fundus lies below the level of the cervix (Fig. 88).
Retroversion of the uterus is progressive. It usually proceeds from
bad to worse. As soon as the downward abdominal pressure begins to
act upon the anterior face of the uterus there is a continuous force
increasing the retroversion.
There are many causes of retroversion and retroflexion.
[Illustration: FIG. 88.--Diagram of the degrees of retroversion of the
uterus.]
The disease may be congenital. Extreme retroflexion has been found
in the uterus of the new-born infant. Congenital retroversion and
retroflexion may be due to imperfect development, and resulting
imperfect invagination of the cervix. The condition may also be caused
by arrest of development of the posterior wall of the uterus; the
anterior wall thus outgrowing the posterior.
Many cases of retroversion undoubtedly originate during girlhood as
a result of falls, blows, distortion of the body, or sudden efforts
at lifting. The origin of the symptoms may be traced in many cases
directly to some such cause.
The uterus may be considered to be balanced upon an axis running
transversely. Anything that turns the uterus backward, so that
the intra-abdominal pressure may act upon the anterior wall, will
produce retroversion. It is probable that an over-distended bladder
occasionally acts as a cause of retroversion.
Retroversion is not at all rare in single women. It is very often
discovered soon after the establishment of the menstrual function, the
symptoms of the retroversion, which probably occurred during girlhood,
first appearing at this time. Retroflexion, on the other hand, except
to the slight extent caused by the retroversion, is unusual in single
women.
Parturition is probably the most frequent cause of retroversion and
retroflexion of the uterus. If the woman leaves her bed or goes to
work too soon after miscarriage or labor, many conditions are present
that favor retrodisplacement of the uterus. The uterus is larger and
heavier than normal, as a result of imperfect involution: the uterine
ligaments are lax; the vagina and the vaginal orifice are relaxed,
and the support of the pelvic floor is consequently deficient; the
abdominal walls are relaxed and the retentive power of the abdomen is
diminished. It will be remembered that these are the causes that favor
prolapse of the uterus; in fact, a slight degree of uterine prolapse
usually accompanies such cases of retrodisplacement. A certain amount
of retroversion must always exist before the uterus can pass along the
vagina. It must turn backward, so that its axis becomes parallel to the
axis of the vagina.
Retroflexion occurring after miscarriage or labor is sometimes the
result of unequal involution in the uterine walls. If the involution
takes place more completely in the posterior than in the anterior wall
of the uterus, a bending back, or a retroflexion, will occur. Such
inequality of involution may result from inflammation about the site of
the placenta.
Retroflexion is a disease of the parous woman, as anteflexion is a
disease of the single and the sterile woman.
Retroversion may be a direct result of laceration of the perineum. When
the pelvic floor is destroyed and the posterior vaginal wall begins to
prolapse, it drags upon the posterior wall of the cervix, and may in
this way turn the uterus backward.
Retroversion also results from traction of inflammatory adhesions
in the pelvis. Cases of chronic inflammation of the Fallopian tubes
accompanied by inflammation of the pelvic peritoneum present adhesions
between the posterior wall of the uterus and the hollow of the sacrum;
these adhesions drag the uterus backward (Fig. 89).
[Illustration: FIG. 89.--Retroversion of the uterus, with adhesions
binding it to the anterior wall of the rectum and the hollow of the
sacrum.]
In cases of retroversion and retroflexion of the uterus serious
derangement of the circulation results. A state of passive congestion
follows interference with the venous supply. This congestion produces
some enlargement of the uterus and chronic congestion or inflammation
of the endometrium. Consequently, in all old cases of retrodisplacement
endometritis is an accompaniment.
Retroversion of the uterus causes traction on the vesico-uterine
connection, and the neck of the bladder is dragged upon; for this
reason irritability of the bladder, characterized by frequent and
perhaps painful micturition, is often present in cases of retroversion.
It is not uncommon to see women who have received treatment directed to
the bladder for conditions of this kind that disappear immediately when
the uterus is restored to the normal position.
The pressure of the displaced fundus upon the rectum may also give
trouble. Women in this condition often complain of a feeling of
obstruction in the rectum. Pressure upon the hemorrhoidal veins results
in hemorrhoids.
There usually accompanies retroversions of the uterus a backward and
downward displacement of the ovaries--in other words, a prolapse of the
ovaries.
The =symptoms= of retrodisplacement are numerous, and may be referred
directly to the altered position of the uterus and the accompanying
conditions. There are backache situated in the upper part of the
sacrum, and headache situated on the top of the head or in the occiput.
These may be considered the two constant symptoms. There is a feeling
of weight and dragging in the pelvis, extending down the thighs.
Physical weakness, or inability to walk or stand for more than a short
time, is often very marked, and seems to be out of all proportion to
the lesion of the uterus. The manner in which such weakness of the
legs is produced is not very evident. That it is caused directly by
the displacement of the uterus, however, is proved by the fact that it
disappears as soon as the uterus is restored to its normal position.
The accompanying prolapse of the ovaries produces symptoms referable to
these organs, the chief symptom being pain in each ovarian region.
The irritability of the bladder has already been spoken of. Menorrhagia
and leucorrhea may be present as a result of the congestion and the
chronic inflammation of the endometrium. Menstruation is usually
painful. At the menstrual period the backache, headache, ovarian pain,
and vesical disturbance are increased. Dysmenorrhea due to obstruction
is unusual in cases of retroflexion. Retroflexion usually occurs in
parous women, in whom the cervical canal is large, and the flexion
therefore does not cause sufficient obstruction to impede the escape
of menstrual blood. All the symptoms arising from retroversion of the
uterus are ameliorated by the recumbent posture.
The =diagnosis= of retroversion and retroflexion of the uterus is
very easily made by bimanual examination. The abdominal hand fails to
find the fundus in the normal position. The vaginal finger feels the
cervix uteri directed not backward toward the coccyx, but forward in
the direction of the vaginal axis or toward the symphysis pubis. The
posterior wall of the cervix and the body of the uterus may be plainly
felt inclined backward. In case of retroflexion the angle of flexion
may be felt by the vaginal finger.
The accompanying prolapse of the ovaries is usually very easily
demonstrated by vaginal touch.
=Treatment.=--As retroflexion does not usually cause obstruction
of the menstrual flow, the treatment need not be directed toward
rendering patulous the cervical canal, as in the case of anteflexion.
Retroflexion is always associated with retroversion, and the methods
that correct the retroversion place the uterus in such a position
that the intra-abdominal pressure acts on the posterior face of the
uterus and gradually reduces the flexion. Therefore the treatment of
retroflexion and of retroversion may be considered together.
Retroversion is treated by the vaginal pessary and by operation.
_The vaginal pessary_ is an instrument to be worn in the vagina, and
designed to retain the uterus in its normal position. A great many
different kinds of pessaries have been invented. The large number of
different-shaped instruments proves the inefficacy of the pessary as a
means of treatment in many cases of retroversion.
The best pessaries for retroversion are the Hodge (Fig. 90, A), the
Smith (Fig. 90, B), and the Thomas (Fig. 90, C). These instruments are
made of hard rubber. They consist of an upper and a lower transverse
bar joined by two lateral bars. They are so shaped that when introduced
into the vagina they correspond very closely to the curvature of the
vaginal slit.
[Illustration: FIG. 90.--Pessaries for retroversion: A, Hodge pessary;
B, Smith pessary; C, Thomas pessary.]
Fig. 91 shows a side view of a pessary in position, and it will be
observed that the curves of the instrument are closely adapted to the
curves of the posterior vaginal wall, upon which it lies.
The vaginal pessary retains the uterus in place by raising the
posterior vaginal fornix and keeping tense the posterior vaginal wall.
It will be observed that the posterior wall of the vagina runs over
the upper transverse bar of the pessary like a rope over a pulley;
therefore there is maintained a continuous traction in an upward and
backward direction upon the cervix, and a resulting continuous tendency
to throw the fundus uteri in a forward position (Fig. 91). The tension
of the posterior vaginal wall and the traction upon the cervix vary
with the position and occupation of the woman, and are increased by
anything that increases the intra-abdominal pressure.
The vaginal pessary does not maintain the uterus in place by pressure
upon the body of the uterus, nor does the vaginal pessary correct a
retrodisplacement. The uterus should be restored to its normal position
as nearly as possible before the pessary is introduced.
[Illustration: FIG. 91.--The retroversion pessary in position. The
arrow shows the direction of the traction of the posterior vaginal wall
upon the cervix.]
Replacement of the uterus may be effected in one of two ways: by
bimanual reposition while the woman is in the dorsal position; or by
instrumental reposition while the woman is in the knee-chest position.
In bimanual reposition the uterus is manipulated between the vaginal
finger or fingers and the abdominal hand until the organ is brought to
its normal position of anteversion (Fig. 92). Sometimes this may be
more easily accomplished by introducing one or two fingers into the
rectum.
After bimanual reposition the pessary should be introduced in the
vagina, and the upper bar of the instrument should be carried behind
the cervix by manipulation with the vaginal finger.
Bimanual reposition is often difficult or impossible in fat women and
in those with rigid abdominal walls.
[Illustration: FIG. 92.--Bimanual reposition of the retroflexed uterus.]
Instrumental reposition in the knee-chest position, however, is
applicable to all cases in which a pessary is indicated. As this method
is the one that should in general be followed, it will be described in
detail.
[Illustration: FIG. 93.--Uterine repositor.]
The woman should be placed in the knee-chest position. The perineum
should be retracted and the cervix exposed with a Sims speculum.
It will be observed that the cervix is directed forward toward the
symphysis pubis. The uterine repositor (Fig. 93) is then introduced,
and pressure is made in the posterior vaginal fornix upon the
displaced fundus. The fundus may be felt with the repositor in this
position. Sometimes, by grasping the cervix with a tenaculum and
drawing it downward, the repositor may be applied with better effect
(Fig. 94). It will often be observed that under this pressure the
fundus immediately drops forward, while the cervix is turned backward
through an angle of 90° or perhaps 180°, so that the external os looks
no longer toward the symphysis pubis, but toward the hollow of the
sacrum. The direction of the cervix shows plainly when the uterus is
in the normal position. Instead of the uterine repositor we may use a
small firm ball of cotton held in long forceps.
[Illustration: FIG. 94.--Replacement of retrodisplaced uterus by means
of the uterine repositor, with patient in the knee-chest position
(Baldy).]
Sometimes it is not possible to make the entire correction of the
displacement at one time. The uterus may perhaps be reduced from
retroversion of the third degree to that of the first degree, and at
a subsequent attempt it may be reduced still more, until finally it
is brought to its normal position. In some cases the difficulty of
producing complete reduction at one time is due to the fact that the
woman is unaccustomed to the position and the manipulations, and is
constantly straining and involuntarily resisting. Complete relaxation
of the abdominal walls is necessary.
If the uterus can be reduced to the normal position, the pessary may be
immediately introduced. If the reduction is not complete, it is best to
pack the vagina with cotton to maintain the degree of reduction that
has been attained, and to repeat the attempt the next day, continuing
in this way until the uterus has been brought approximately to its
normal position, when the pessary should be introduced. The cotton
should be packed into the vagina in the form of balls or pledgets about
one and a half inches in diameter, which should be introduced with the
forceps (Fig. 95) and carefully and tightly packed into the posterior
vaginal fornix. Other pieces should then be packed against the anterior
aspect of the cervix, and then the rest of the vagina should be rather
loosely filled.
[Illustration: FIG. 95.--Uterine forceps.]
The pessary should be introduced with the woman in the knee-chest
position. A number of pessaries, of various sizes and shapes, should be
at hand, in order to have a suitable assortment for choice. The pessary
must be of the proper length, breadth, and shape; these requirements
differ in various cases. The length of the pessary should be such that
when the upper transverse bar lies in the posterior vaginal fornix
the lower transverse bar is over the position of the internal urinary
meatus. The course of the urethra is marked by small transverse folds
of mucous membrane on the middle of the anterior vaginal wall, and the
internal urinary meatus is situated approximately where these small
transverse folds cease and become merged into the larger oblique folds
of the vaginal walls. This distance may be measured upon the uterine
repositor or it may be estimated with the eye.
It should be remembered that all the dimensions of the vagina are
exaggerated in the knee-chest position, as the vaginal canal is
distended by atmospheric pressure. The width of the pessary should be
such that there is no lateral tension put upon the vaginal walls.
The curvature of the pessary should be such that the upper transverse
bar does not press upon the posterior aspect of the cervix, but is so
placed that the posterior vaginal fornix is drawn upward and backward.
The curvature of the pessary may be altered to suit any case by dipping
the instrument in oil and gently heating it over the flame of a
spirit-lamp. In this way the rubber is softened and may be pressed into
any shape. While soft and under pressure it should be plunged into cold
water to set it in the altered form.
The pessary may be introduced while the perineum is retracted with
the speculum; or it may be passed into the vagina first, the speculum
then being introduced and the pessary moved into the proper position.
The pessary should be greased, the lower transverse bar should be
grasped with the thumb and the index finger, and the instrument should
be introduced in such a direction that one lateral bar lies in the
vaginal sulcus. The upper transverse bar may readily be placed behind
the cervix, by manipulation with the finger or the forceps, when the
perineum is retracted with the speculum.
The speculum should be removed, and the woman should assume the Sims
posture for a few minutes. She may then get up from the table, and the
examination may be made in the erect posture, for in this position,
better than in any other, the fit and the action of the pessary may
be determined. It will be found that the lower bar of the pessary
is in relation with the anterior vaginal wall at the position of the
internal urinary meatus. It should not protrude from the ostium vaginæ.
It should be possible to pass the finger readily between the vaginal
walls and the lateral and lower bars of the pessary. The cervix should
be felt directed backward through the upper portion of the ring of the
pessary. It will be felt that the pessary is retained in the vagina not
by any pressure against the vaginal walls, but by a suction--in other
words, by the retentive power of the abdomen.
A vaginal douche of warm water should be administered once a day while
the pessary is worn.
The woman should be directed to return for examination three days
after the introduction of the pessary, or sooner if any discomfort
is experienced. Sometimes the uterus becomes retroverted while the
pessary is in position, and becomes flexed over the upper bar of the
instrument, considerable pain resulting. In other cases, where the
vagina is patulous and too small an instrument is used, the pessary
becomes turned so that the long axis lies transversely. It is well to
advise the woman to remove the instrument herself if it makes her very
uncomfortable.
The pessary should be examined digitally in the dorsal or the erect
position, or visually in the knee-chest position. If it is found that
the retroversion has returned, the uterus should be replaced and a
pessary better suited in size and shape should be introduced. It is
always desirable to use as small an instrument as practicable. The
intervals between examinations may be gradually lengthened to two
weeks or a month. A woman using a pessary should always be under the
supervision of a physician. The retroversion pessary does not interfere
with sexual connection.
The bowels should be carefully regulated. The clothing should be
supported from the shoulders, not from the waist, and heavy lifting
should be avoided as much as possible.
After a woman has worn a pessary for three or four months, and it is
found that the uterus remains in the normal position, the instrument
should be removed and the result carefully watched.
If the uterus continues in its normal position of anteversion, a
cure has been accomplished and the pessary may be discarded. If the
retroversion returns, as it very often does, the pessary should be
introduced again, and an unfavorable prognosis of cure by this means
should be made. The patient must then choose between the use of the
pessary for an indefinite period, under medical supervision, and cure
by means of an operation.
The Smith pessary is better adapted to the shape of the vagina, which
normally narrows from above downward, than is the Hodge instrument.
The Thomas pessary, in which the upper bar is made very broad, is
applicable to cases of sharp retroflexion with retroversion, in which
the upper bar may become fixed in the angle of flexion in case the
retroversion returns. The upper bar is made so broad that the angle of
flexion would be spanned by it in case of such an accident.
The action of the pessary depends upon the integrity of the vagina and
the pelvic floor. The retroversion pessary, therefore, cannot be used
when there is a laceration of the perineum. In such a case the perineum
must always be closed as a preliminary step.
The pessary should not be used when there is a laceration of the cervix
uteri, for traction upon the posterior lip of the cervix increases the
eversion.
The pessary is contraindicated in all cases in which there are pelvic
adhesions restraining the uterus, in those cases in which there is
inflammatory disease of the Fallopian tubes, and in cases where there
is prolapse of the ovary, which may be pressed upon by the upper bar of
the pessary.
Before making any attempt to replace a displaced uterus the physician
should always make a careful bimanual examination to determine the
existence of any acute or chronic inflammation of the Fallopian tubes
or the ovaries. Such inflammation is a contraindication to the use of
the pessary and to any of the manipulations for replacement of the
uterus that have already been described.
If the uterus is adherent, the pessary should not be used. Cure of the
retroversion by it is practically impossible, and operative treatment
is safer and more certain.
=Operative Means of Treating Retrodisplacement of the Uterus.=--A
great many kinds of operation have been introduced for curing
retrodisplacement of the uterus. The fundus has been attached to the
anterior abdominal wall by passing a needle and a suture into the
uterus and thrusting it through the uterine wall and the anterior
abdominal wall; the uterine cornua have been sutured to the anterior
parietes; the round ligaments have been shortened by folding each upon
itself, and fixed in this position by suture; the round ligaments
have been drawn back through openings made in the broad ligaments and
attached by suture to each other and to the posterior surface of the
uterus; the utero-sacral ligaments have been shortened; the uterus
has been held forward by sutures applied through the anterior vaginal
fornix.
The two operations that have deservedly met with the greatest favor
are ventro-suspension of the uterus, in which the abdomen is opened
and the fundus is sutured directly to the anterior abdominal wall, and
Alexander’s operation, in which the uterine displacement is corrected
by shortening the round ligaments as they emerge from the inguinal
rings. The latter operation is designed to be extra-peritoneal. The
following is the method of performing Alexander’s operation:
The uterus should first be replaced as already described, and held in
position by a gauze or cotton pack. A two-inch incision is made from
the pubic spine in the direction of the inguinal canal. The external
inguinal ring is opened without wounding the pillars. The thin layer of
fascia over the ring is divided, the fat is separated, and the round
ligament is sought with a blunt hook. If the ligament is not found
here, the canal may be opened to the internal ring. When one ligament
has been found, it is secured with forceps and the wound is protected
while the other ligament is secured in a similar way. The ligaments are
then gently drawn out until they become tense. If the inguinal canal
has been opened, it should be repaired by a catgut suture.
The ligament should be sutured to the pillars of the ring by two or
three sutures. The excess of the ligament, sometimes amounting to two
or three inches, should be cut off. The incision should then be closed.
The field of this operation is very limited. It is not applicable when
there are adhesions nor when there is disease of the tubes or ovaries
requiring operative treatment.
Many of the cases of retroversion of the uterus that require operative
treatment are complicated by salpingitis and pelvic adhesions, though
these extra-uterine conditions are very often not recognized by
bimanual examination before the abdomen is opened.
The operation that at present seems to possess most advantages for the
cure of those cases of retroversion of the uterus that cannot be cured
by the pessary is the operation of ventro-suspension of the uterus
(Fig. 96). It is performed as follows:
An incision, one and a half to three inches in length, is made in the
median line of the anterior abdominal wall, immediately above the
pubis. Two fingers are introduced into the abdominal cavity, and the
fundus uteri is lifted forward. The plane of the abdominal incision is
exposed, and a curved needle carrying a medium-sized silk suture is
passed through a few fibers of the rectus muscle and the peritoneum
on one side, immediately above the lower angle of the incision. The
needle is then passed through the tissue of the fundus uteri on the
line joining the uterine cornua or a little posterior to this line. The
amount of uterine tissue included in the suture is about one-quarter
of an inch broad and one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch deep. The
needle is then passed through the peritoneum and a few fibers of the
rectus muscle on the side of the abdominal incision opposite the point
of entrance. The fascia of the rectus should not be included. A similar
suture is passed about one-third of an inch above this, traversing the
uterine wall on a line about one-third of an inch posterior to the
first suture. While the fundus is held forward by the finger of an
assistant these sutures are tied, so that the fundus uteri is brought
into contact with the anterior abdominal wall. The ends of the sutures
are cut short. The abdominal incision is then closed by three layers of
sutures--silk for the peritoneum, catgut for the muscle and fascia, and
the intra-cutaneous suture for the skin. Accompanying disease of the
tubes and ovaries may be treated directly by this operation, and any
adhesions may readily be broken.
[Illustration: FIG. 96.--Position of the sutures in ventro-suspension
of the uterus.]
In performing this operation it should be remembered that we do not
wish to make a fixation of the uterus to the anterior abdominal wall.
The inclusion of a broad mass of uterine tissue in the suture, and
scarification of the anterior face of the uterus, which is sometimes
practised, may result in a broad, unyielding adhesion which will
interfere with the normal mobility of the uterus and with the course of
pregnancy and labor.
[Illustration: FIG. 97.--The suspensory ligament two years after the
operation of ventro-suspension. The ligament measured three inches in
length.]
After this operation of ventro-suspension the fundus uteri does not
remain permanently in contact with the anterior abdominal wall. In time
it drops somewhat backward and downward. The silk sutures drag out a
ribbon-shaped fold of tissue consisting of peritoneum and a little
muscle-fiber from the anterior abdominal wall, and a similar fold of
peritoneum and perhaps some muscular fibers from the uterus, so that
in time the uterus becomes attached by a slight pliable ligament from
one to three inches in length (Fig. 97). Bimanual examination of the
uterus one year after this operation shows that the uterus has about
the normal range of mobility. If this operation is properly performed,
the course of subsequent pregnancies and labors seems to be in no way
impeded.
The operation of ventro-suspension should always be accompanied by
perineorrhaphy in case there has been laceration of the perineum. The
two operations may be done at the same time.
The treatment of retrodisplacement of the uterus may be briefly
summarized as follows:
The cases of retrodisplacement of the uterus suitable for treatment
by the pessary are those in which there are no adhesions and in which
there is no disease of the Fallopian tubes or the ovaries. If a
prolapsed ovary returns to its normal position when the displacement of
the uterus is corrected, it will of course not be pressed upon by the
bar of the pessary. But in some cases the ovarian prolapse continues
even though the uterus is in its normal position, and under such
circumstances a pessary usually cannot be tolerated.
The cases that offer the best prospect of cure by the pessary are those
cases of retroversion, occurring as the result of labor, in which the
perineum is intact, and which are seen within one or two years after
the occurrence of the lesion. The prognosis becomes more unfavorable
the longer the condition has existed before treatment.
Cases of congenital retroversion, or those occurring in young unmarried
women, are very difficult to cure with the pessary. This instrument
should always be tried for a few months, however, before operative
measures are advised. In such cases the uterus has been so long in an
abnormal position that its natural supports have become permanently
altered, and some continuous additional aid is necessary to maintain
the normal position.
Every woman who uses a pessary should be under the supervision of a
physician, and for this reason it is often most advisable to recommend
immediate operation to poor women as the quickest and surest method of
cure.
Immediate operation should always be advised in all cases of
retroversion with adhesion or with disease of the tubes and ovaries.
It should not be forgotten that we occasionally see women with
retroversion of the uterus who present no symptoms whatever referable
to this lesion. In such cases no treatment is required.
NOTE (in fourth edition).--The operation of ventro-suspension as
described above has been done by the writer and his assistants 310
times during the past seven years, 1893-1901. Two hundred and eleven
of these women have recently made written reports of their condition,
which are tabulated as follows:
A Number of cases
relieved of the
symptoms for
which treatment
was sought.
B Number of cases
improved
C Number of cases
not improved
D Number of cases
who became
pregnant and
went to full term
E Number of cases
who miscarried.
---------------------------------------------------------+---+--+--+--+---
| A | B| C| D| E
---------------------------------------------------------+----------------
Ventro-suspension with unilateral salpingo-oöphorectomy.}| | | | |
Ventro-suspension with perineorrhaphy and }| 20| 7| 7| 1| 0
trachelorrhaphy. }| 34|15| 5| 6| 3
Ventro-suspension with perineorrhaphy. | 22|12| 8| 4| 1
Ventro-suspension with trachelorrhaphy. | 20| 6| 5| 4| 4
Ventro-suspension alone. | 35| 9| 6| 5| 0
+---+--+--+--+---
|131|49|31|20| 8
---------------------------------------------------------+---+--+--+--+---
Of the 20 women who became pregnant and went to full term, the course
of pregnancy was normal, and the children were all born alive. One
woman had a prolonged and difficult labor, though forceps were not
used. In 1 case forceps were used to deliver a ten-pound child, who
presented in occipito-posterior position; in the remaining 18 cases
labor was normal.
The operation of ventro-suspension seems to have had nothing whatever
to do with producing the miscarriages. In fact, the number of
miscarriages is small for any series of 211 women, most of whom were
of the dispensary class.
NOTE.--Since collecting the statistics in the preceding note, we have
continued to perform this operation in all cases of retroversion
suitable for operation, with equally satisfactory results.