The Cesarean (“C”) Section a surgical techniques for the birth of the fetus through an incision in the abdomen and uterus, and performed as a substitute for natural vaginal delivery .
Types of cesarean delivery
There are two main types of this caesarean section, according to the type of incision, as follows:
The traditional incision: It is done in the center of the abdomen.
Lower incision: This is a smaller, lower incision, which is the most commonly used today.
Cases in which caesarean section is performed
There are many medical conditions that warrant this type of surgery, including the following:
Pregnancy at an advanced age.
Overweight.
Improper position of the fetus in the womb.
The birth of more than one fetus at the same time.
Preeclampsia.
Previous cesarean delivery.
There are some women who prefer to give birth through this surgery in order to avoid the pain of childbirth, or in order to give birth on a specific date, or for other reasons that do not necessarily require it.
Complications from the surgery
The surgery is associated with many complications, such as the following:
rupture of the uterine wall
This is rare as a result of a single C-section, but it is more likely to occur if you have had multiple C-sections.
Shortness of breath in the fetus
This phenomenon is relatively rare, and it occurs due to the failure of the fetus's lungs to empty fluid, which is not the case with a natural birth due to the enormous pressure in the birth canal.
Before the surgery
Preparation for this surgery involves applying a local anesthetic called an epidural or spinal anaesthesia.
Stages of a caesarean section
If the pregnant woman is in good health, there is no need to conduct any tests before the operation, but in some cases there is a need to do a comprehensive blood count and blood clotting functions.
during surgery
This surgery often takes 30-40 minutes. The gynecologist performs the cesarean section immediately after the anesthetic begins, as follows:
A surgical incision is made in the abdomen, and the doctor begins to cut the layers of the skin and then the layers under the skin, until he reaches the abdominal muscles and the uterine wall.
The fetus is expelled quickly and the umbilical cord is cut and the entire placenta removed during this process.
The doctor begins by suturing the uterine wall with solid stitches that can hold for a long time, then the abdominal wall, muscles and skin layers are sutured.
The incision in the skin is closed with metal staples and a dressing is placed over it.
Post surgery
Often it is preferable for the patient to remain in a lying position for the first 24 hours after the surgery, and if she feels pain in the area of the incision, she can take painkillers .
The staples are removed from the incision 2-3 days after the surgery, and the sutures are removed after a week.
In the event that no side effects appear, especially after the end of the surgery, the patient can leave the hospital 48 hours after the end of the surgery, and it is desirable to return to normal physical activity gradually only.