Comparison of Complications of Chorionic Villus Sampling and Amniocentesis

Background: A significant number of pregnancies are associated with the cytogenetic abnormalities of the fetus. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) are procedures used for prenatal genetic diagnosis. In this study, we compare the safety and complications of mid-trimester amniocentesis and transabdominal CVS. Materials and Methods: This analytic cross-sectional study was performed in 308 patients from 2.11.2007 to 26.10.2009. We had 155 cases of amniocentesis, which we performed in weeks 15-23 of pregnancy; and 153 cases of CVS, which we performed during weeks 10-14 of pregnancy. Results: There were 2 cases (1.2%) of premature rupture of membrane (PROM) in amniocentesis which occurred 1 and 10 days after the procedure and caused pregnancy loss before 20 weeks. We had 1 case (0.7%) of abortion in CVS, which occurred 10 days after the procedure. Additionally, there was 1 case of amniotic fluid leakage (0.7%) in which, after admission to the hospital and observation, leakage was stopped and the pregnancy continued normally. Conclusion: In this study, we had more complications with amniocentesis cases than CVS. CVS is a procedure performed in the earlier stages of pregnancy and its complications are less than amniocentesis. We suggest CVS to be the procedure of choice for genetic diagnosis.