You are here: Home  Causes  Female causes  Uterus malformations

MALFORMATIONS AND DISEASES OF THE UTERUS


Anomalies in the womb (uterus) can lead to severe fertility problems and/or premature births or miscarriages.

Common uterine malformations are

  • the divided uterus (uterus septus)
  • two-part uterus (uterus bicornis) as well as
  • a uterus which only consists of one part (uterus unicornis)

The uterine septum is made up of connective tissue or muscle tissue, it often only partially divides the uterine cavity. Sometimes (very rarely) it completely separates the halves of the uterus.

Asherman Syndrome causes the uterine cavity to become closed by adhesions. The syndrome often arises after curettage or infections. After birth, the uterus lining is particularly sensitive. Therefore, placenta residues should be removed very carefully. Curettages, which take large parts of the uterine lining away with them, can result in serious complications for future pregnancies. Unfortunately, women with complete Asherman Syndrome are mostly sterile and menstrual periods are completely absent. But there are also mild forms in which the uterine cavity is not completely fused, and the woman still has light bleeding.

Caesarean scars can also pose a risk to later pregnancies and childbirths. In rare cases, the uterus may tear (uterine rupture) during a later normal birth. Sometimes the placenta grows in the lower part of the uterus after a caesarean section, so it blocks the natural birth canal (placenta previa). Risks are significant if a woman becomes pregnant again very shortly after a caesarean section. We recommend waiting at least a year after having a caesarean section before conceiving again. In the case of artificial insemination, we recommend inserting only one embryo into the uterus after caesarean sections in order to minimise the risk of rupture. Contrary to the widespread opinion ‘once a caesarean section, always a caesarean section’, a woman can give birth vaginally after having a caesarean section.