Caeserean Section Operation

Pregnancy ends with delivery which can be either vaginal delivery/ assisted vaginal delivery in the form of forceps/ ventouse or a caesarean section.

Each type of delivery has its own pros and cons – risks and benefits.

Sometimes for the sake of mother or the baby or because of certain medical conditions you need go for caesarean delivery.

These days the technique is such that it is very safe in good hands.

Nevertheless since it’s a major operation in which we are opening the abdomen , some complications may arise.

Risks of Going Through a Caesarean Delivery ( C- Section ) :

• Pain: This may sometimes take some while to subside and one may have to pain killers for some time.

• Infection: Infection of wound/womb/catheter induced urinary tract infection:

• Bleeding : Bleeding is a bit more in a caesarean section than a vaginal birth.

• Adhesions: Sometimes there is a tendency of the intestines /urinary bladder to stick to the operation site and this can lead to pain / difficulty in next operation .

• Serious issues : Serious complications like injury to intestines/ urinary system/requirement for another operation/ excessive bleeding requiring removal of the uterus are very rare.

• Anaesthesia Complications: Risks associated with the type of anaesthesia are also there. Most common is a spinal headache which may occur when anaesthesia is given in the spine.

• Breathing issues in babies : Sometimes the babies born without start of labour through caesarean may have transient breathing problems.

Having one caesarean there is a risk of having another caesarean although after the first one there are still chances of a vaginal birth(VBAC).

Advantages of Opting For a Caesarean Delivery ( C- Section ):

• An emergency caesarean is many a times better than a traumatic vaginal delivery by forces/ ventouse. There is a decreased risk of birth injuries or birth asphyxia in the newborn (mental retardation due to lack of oxygen)

• C Sections can save the life of your baby : Caesarean can save the life of the baby in certain circumstances like breech/ transverse lie and other abnormal presentations.

• When the baby passes meconium in early labour or it has fetal distress caesarean remains the only option in order to avoid future serious repercussions/ death of the baby.

• C sections can help in difficult medical situations: In cases where the baby gets stuck in the pelvis in a labouring patient sometimes the uterus gets ruptured and this leads to loss of the baby within minutes and death of the mother if not managed in time by a caesarean.

Although the term caesarean may seem intimidating but thousands are being done safely for maternal/ fetal and medical indications leading to happy mothers and healthy babies!