Pregnancy After Cold-Knife Conization: A Patient's Experience & Concerns

Question
Four years ago i had a lot of cervical dysplasia, the doctor did the cold-knife conization procedure and said there was still some dysplasia left so he had to burn some of the cervix as well. when i went back for the follow up the doctor was no longer there (i seen him through a health clinic)so i never did get to talk to him again after the day of the surgury. as my check-ups went on i didnt ask to many questions, i was just glad everything was ok and my paps were normal. now my husband and i have the itch for another baby and i'm really concerned about the risks! i have been going crazy trying to figure out if we should even consider another baby after looking on-line at all the information that i never really knew about the procedure (until now) - it seems like its very risky. i guess my question is -how safe is pregnancy 4 years after cold-knife conization      THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME WITH MY QUESTION

Answer
Dear Kimberly,

The main risk with cervical conization and subsequent pregnancies is preterm labor/delivery. In a study reported by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 2007, it was concluded that a short time interval (2-3 months) between the conization and the subsequent pregnancy would put women at increased risk for preterm birth. However, your conization being four years ago should not put you at a high risk for preterm labor delivery at this point unless there was a significant amount of tissue removed from your cervix. My suggestion would be to obtain your medical records from that procedure and take them to your OB doctor OR make sure that you have a thorough cervical exam before conceiving to make sure your OB doctor does not see any cervical abnormalities which would predispose you to problems.

I hope this has helped you and answered your question. I wish you well.

Brenda