An incision through the abdominal wall and the uterine wall for the delivery of the fetus when birth through the birth canal is impossible or dangerous. The procedure was included in Roman law in 715 B.C. as a means of salvaging the fetus or to provide for separate burial in the event of the mother’s death.
A surgical procedure to deliver a baby through an incision in a woman’s abdomen, in cases where delivery through the vagina is impossible or dangerous to mother or child. In decades past, the incision was usually a vertical cut made high on the abdomen, the so-called classical uterine incision. Some doctors, for various reasons, used a vertical incision low on the abdomen (low vertical incision) or two incisions, one vertical, one horizontal (inverted-T incision). These types of incisions carry the risk of the uterus rupturing during future pregnancies, a risk that led to the wide-spread medical rule “once a cesarean, always a cesarean.”
surgical incision through the abdomen and uterus for removal of a fetus, commonly performed when conditions (e.g., maternal hemorrhage, premature separation of the placenta, fetal distress, fetus too large for passage through the mother’s pelvis) for normal vaginal delivery are deemed hazardous for mother or baby. However, it is not uncommon for a Cesarean section to take place because it is easier for the mother, who for economic or employment reasons can choose the exact date that she will have her baby. The rate of Cesarean deliveries in the United States has increased to 24.1% of all births and is the highest in the world. Economics and the current medical-legal environment are largely responsible for this high rate. Hazards include those of major surgery for the mother and the possibility of too-early birth or the baby. Though vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC) is possible, this once popular procedure is losing favor due to recent reports of uterine rupture following delivery. Also called Caesarean, C- section.
A surgical procedure in which a baby is delivered through incisions in the mother’s abdominal and uterine walls. It is performed in situations where it has been judged the safest method of childbirth. A cesarean section may be performed if labor fails to progress (the contractions are not adequately dilating the cervix); in a multiple pregnancy; or if a baby is in distress, in a breech presentation, or is too big to pass safely through the mother’s birth canal. A cesarean section may also be needed if the mother has a serious medical condition, such as diabetes, blood pressure problems, eclampsia, or active genital herpes. A woman who has had a cesarean section may deliver vaginally in a future pregnancy.
A surgical operation for delivering a baby through the abdominal wall: it should not be performed before the 28th week of gestation. It is carried out when there are risks to the baby from natural childbirth; for example if it is too large to pass through the birth canal or shows signs of lack of oxygen (anoxia); in a breech presentation that cannot be turned; or if the placenta obstructs the outlet of the womb and may cause dangerous bleeding. It is also performed for the safety of the mother, for example in acute toxemia of pregnancy, failure to induce labor, or prolonged ineffectual labor.
Delivery of the fetus by means of an incision through the abdominal wall and into the uterus. Operative approaches and techniques vary. A horizontal incision through the lower uterine segment is most common; the classic vertical midline incision may be used in times of profound fetal distress. Elective cesarean section is indicated for known cephalopelvic disproportion, malpresentations, some patients with toxemia, and active genital herpes infection. The most common reason for emergency cesarean delivery is fetal distress.