Uterine Perforation during IUD Placement: Risks and Management

Uterine wall perforation at time of IUD placement has been published to occur, in general, about 1-2/1,000 cases. It happens! While there are some risk factors for uterine perforation (very antiflexed, retroflexed, recent postpartum state, lactating), sometimes uterine perforation can happen even with the best of technique and no risk factors. While most providers are concerned about immediate short-term gynecological complications like infection and bleeding, we don’t really consider the possibility of any potential future OB complications. Is a patient at higher risk of future adverse OB issues after perforation during IUD placement? It’s an interesting question, with an even more fascinating answer! In this episode we will dive into the data, and make sense of published case reports and clinical opinions which help us arrive at the answer to that question.