Cervical Tear from D&C & Incompetent Cervix: Impact on Future Pregnancies

Question
Hi Dr. Rappaport,
I am 28 yrs old and had a missed miscarriage at 12 wks (babies development stopped around 8-10wks). This was my first pregnancy.
I had a D&C on Jan 15th which tore my cervix and I still have stitches. Can tears to a cervix from a D&C have any effects on future pregnancies and does the risk of incompetent cervix for future pregnancies increase?

Thank you very much!

Answer
An incompetent cervical os is not caused by having a D&C (even if there was a cervical tear during the procedure). In a D&C, the cervix is dilated and the inside of the uterus is scraped in order to clean out the inside wall. Often, during the D&C a cervical laceration can occur, which may need suturing. This will not contribute to the development of a cervical incompetence. If you become pregnant and start to have cervical dilatation prior to the 16th week of pregnancy, or if the cervix (when not pregnant) allows passage of a catheter into the cervical os, that can signify the presence of an incompetent cervix. Then a cerclage is indicated. Usually it is not indicated for a woman who has had one or more D&cs.