Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
In 2000, one study calculated the percentage of episiotomies performed in the United States out of all vaginal deliveries to be 19.4%. This was a dramatic reduction from the 1983 rate of 69.4%. Episiotomy rates were higher among white women (32.1%)...
than African American women (11.2%). Similar differences have been reported in other obstetric procedures (e.g. cesarean section and epidural use).
Episiotomy rates differ according to care provider—patients of midwives have lower rates than patients of medical doctors. One study comparing perineal outcomes for women being cared for by midwives or medical doctors found the episiotomy rate among midwives at 25% and 40% among medical doctors. Younger doctors are also less likely to perform an episiotomy than older doctors; one study found the rate of episiotomies performed by residents to be 17%, while the rate among doctors in private practice was 66%.
Advertisement
Search
Other Information
An episiotomy (pronounced /ɛˌpiːziːˈɒtəmiː/) is a surgical incision through the perineum made to enlarge the vagina and assist childbirth. The incision can be midline or at an angle from the posterior end of the vulva, is performed under local anaesthetic (pudendal anesthesia) and is sutured closed after delivery. It is one of the most common medical procedures performed on women, and although its routine use in childbirth has steadily declined in recent decades, it is still widely practiced in Latin America and in Poland and India.
Other Information
an obstetrician/gynecologist is a physician specialist who provides medical and surgical care to women and has particular expertise in pregnancy, childbirth, and disorders of the reproductive system.
From: womenshealthchannel.com
Find a Qualified Specialist
Looking for a specialist?
Please enter your zip code.