Cesarean Delivery

Césarienne

Surgical technique

A caesarean delivery – also called C-section - is performed when a vaginal delivery is not enough secured for the well being of either the mother or the baby. This surgical procedure consists by an incision through the lower abdomen and the uterus.

If a caesarean delivery is planned, the procedure will be performed with epidural or spinal anaesthesia. A general anaesthesia may be used, according to your case and the decisions of the obstetrician and the anaesthetist. A catheter is inserted into your bladder just before the surgery. The incision is made horizontally, just upper your pubic area. In rare situation, a vertical incision can be performed depending on the antecedents or particular circumstances. The father can be present, close to you and just next to the anaesthetist. Just after the delivering you will have your baby into your arms for a few minutes. Then the midwife will take care of it, with the paediatrician and the father.

The C-section lasts less than 30 minutes. Going out of the surgical unit, you will be placed into the recovery unit, for a 2 hours post-operative monitoring under the control of midwifes. Then, you will be moved into a hospital room, and a light meal will be served.

Hospital stay is around 5 days.

Risks & Complications :

Even if surgery procedures and technics are meticulous, it is not possible to guarantee neither therapeutic success nor a complete absence of intraoperative complications.

During the intervention

  • Significant blood loss: may rarely lead to a blood transfusion. Exceptional case of heavy blood loss may require specific medical treatments, or a uterine arterial ligation may have to be performed. Some very rare cases imply hysterectomy (ablation of the uterus).
  • Injury of an organ close to the uterus: this can exceptionally happen: bowel, bladder or blood vessels wounds, requiring a specific surgical assumption.

Post-operation

  • Blood tumor or abscess of the uterine wall: It generally requires local care, but a surgical evacuation is seldom necessary
  • Bowel obstruction: It can require a medical care, rarely a surgical operation.
  • Bladder infection: It is generally without gravity and will be treated with antibiotics.
  • Lower extremity deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: in order to prevent this kind of complication, an early rising is recommended, as well as wearing support stockings and daily injections of anticoagulant.

Last update: 10/2/2013