Cervical surgery and preterm birth

Treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) greatly reduces the risk of cervical cancer. Treatment involves ablation or excision of the transformation zone of the cervix, most commonly using an electrosurgical excision technique known as LLETZ. However, the peak incidence of CIN occurs in young women, so if excision of a portion of the cervix has an adverse effect on pregnancy outcome, this might have a significant impact. This review discusses the methodology and findings of the published literature on the association between cervical treatment and preterm birth, and the clinical implications of these findings.