Radical Vaginal Trachelectomy

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UChicago Medicine Gynecologic Cancer Care

Jennifer's story: Healthy pregnancy after cervical cancer

Video Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING] It's called a radical trachelectomy. A surgery so rare, only one doctor in Illinois performs it. If successful, it would enable Jennifer Mason Zinga to have a third child, despite the fact that she had cervical cancer. 19 months after surgery, against all odds, Jennifer's third child came into the world all because Jennifer came into the University of Chicago Medicine.

UChicago Medicine is one of few hospitals nationwide — and the only one in Illinois — offering radical vaginal trachelectomy (RVT), a fertility-preserving surgical option for the treatment of cervical cancer. Our experts in gynecologic cancers and maternal-fetal medicine (high-risk maternity care) work together to help women experience successful pregnancies after having this procedure.

What is Radical Vaginal Trachelectomy?

Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) is commonly recommended as an effective treatment for cervical cancer, yet it leaves women unable to become pregnant. Radical vaginal trachelectomy offers an alternative.

Also called trachelectomy, radical trachelectomy or cervicectomy, this procedure requires removal of the cervix, surrounding tissue and the upper two centimeters of the vagina. The uterus is then connected to the remaining portion of the upper vagina, and a cerclage — or a stitch — replaces the cervix. With her uterus intact and a cerclage in place, the woman may still get pregnant and carry a baby to term.