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Volume 2 in this landmark 3-volume series The Anthropology of Obstetrics and Obstetricians: The Practice, Maintenance, and Reproduction of a Biomedical Profession looks at cognition, risk, and responsibility in obstetrics. This volume contains social science analyses of Swiss, Chilean, Mexican, US, Greek, and Irish obstetrics and obstetricians, particularly around their reasons for the overuse of cesareans; a chapter on'4 Stages of Cognition'and a condition called'Substage,'which describes how these concepts apply to obstetricians; and a chapter on why obstetricians fear home birth. This book is a must-read for students, social scientists, and all maternity care practitioners who seek to understand obstetricians'differing ideologies and motives for practicing as they do. An excerpt from Vania Smith-Oka and Lydia Dixon's chapter: For systemic changes to occur, we must understand doctors'decision-making rationales and take their fear-based perspectives about risk and responsibility into account, while also paying attention to the concerns raised by scholars and activists.

In this collection, a combined method of preventing and stopping a postpartum obstetric hemorrhage is proposed, involving surgical hemostasis by ligation of the descending branch of the uterine artery and placement of a hemostatic external supraplacental pleated suture, as well as mechanical compression of the uterine cavity with both vaginal and uterine Zhukovsky catheters, and coagulopathy management using thromboelastography (TEG). Uterine hemostatic sutures and their advantages and disadvantages are described in detail, and the benefits of the innovative external supraplacental pleated suture are discussed. Intrauterine balloon tamponade (IUBT) devices have been shown to to be an effective management for severe postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) resulting from uterine atony as well as placental site bleeding. IUBT have now been incorporated into standard protocols for management of severe PPH as a second line conservative surgical procedure due to its simplicity and relatively non-invasive nature. In recent decades, the use of second line procedures has rapidly increased and the effectiveness of these second-line procedures in reducing hysterectomy has been demonstrated in literature. Among these various second line procedures, the use of uterine balloon tamponade increased most rapidly. Balloon tamponade is less invasive and easier to apply than other second line management. Intrauterine balloon tamponade should probably be the first second-line procedure to consider in management of severe PPH. Lastly, the book discusses how anesthesia in pregnant women with rare diseases is challenging. Because of the low occurrence and heterogeneity of these diseases, most anesthesiologists are not familiar with the symptomatology, associated comorbidities, and their consequences for anesthesia. The authors suggest that peroperative monitoring should primarily focus on the cardiopulmonary system, the depth of the neuromuscular block, and the core temperature. Because of the high risk of respiratory depression following general anesthesia in patients with rare diseases, these patients should be closely monitored during the postoperative period, with an emphasis on complete reversal of neuromuscular blockade.

The definitive monograph on the world's most commonly performed obstetric surgical procedure, this text benefits from plentiful illustrations to show all the details a surgeon needs to know, and from expert international contributors to share their knowledge on the many specialist questions raised.

Caesarean Section has become the most common major operation in the world, and with the increasing number there are many serious and long-term healthcare implications for gynaecology, general surgery, neonatology, and epigenetics. A full perspective of the procedure and its consequences is therefore essential for practitioners, residents, and trainees alike. The Textbook of Caesarean Section is the key textbook on this subject, and is an informative and practical tool for clinicians performing this procedure in all areas of the world. The accompanying professional medical videos demonstrate in clear and expert detail the two alternative procedures for caesarean section, ensuring that readers of this book gain an in-depth understanding of the techniques involved, and supporting blended learning in postgraduate education globally. Written by a distinguished team of expert contributors, this book carefully describes current best practice for caesarean section alongside key chapters on the history of caesarean section, and other important and related issues that obstetricians must be aware of, such as anaesthesia, prevention of complications of surgery, reproduction after C-section, and perinatal outcomes. The text is extensively illustrated with colour images, and fully referenced throughout, providing all the information essential for the reader to perform the optimal caesarean delivery procedures, and diagnose and manage the short- and long-term complications associated with different methods of caesarean sections.

The fascinating issue of operative opening of the uterus and delivering the fetus known today as cesarean section has intrigued humankind for ages. This book is the most comprehensive text on the fascinating history of cesarean section. It includes the origin of the eponym and describes many myths from ancient Greek, Roman, Persian and medieval cultures. The first documents regarding cesarean delivery arise in ancient legal texts: a cuneiform tablet dealing with the adoption of a small boy during the 23rd year of the renowned King Hammurabi of Babylon (1795-1750 BC), “Lex Regia” proclaimed by Numa Pompilius, an ancient Roman King (716-673 BC), and Mishna, the collection of ancient Jewish laws (2nd century BC – 6th century AD). The book includes a description of the oldest known drawing of a cesarean section that appears in the 1307 AD version of the book'Al-Athár-ul- Bákiya'by Albiruni. The book focuses on the debate about the definite perception of cesarean delivery that had at several times reached culminate conflicts, as in the medieval period, during the 18th century, during the 19th century and at the 20th-21st centuries. In medieval times, two contrasting categories of cesarean birth were described: saintly obstetrical miracles and satanic depiction of Antichrist birth. Saintly and satanic cesarean birth had different results, while the former were instruments of salvation, the latter delivered evil and damnation. Hence, without formal confrontation one with each other in medieval times, these two contrasting categories of cesarean section initiated a never ending debate on whether a cesarean should or should not be performed in its various forms. Towards the end of the 20th century, a new issue about cesarean section became controversial; maternal-choice cesarean without a medical justification. Although, cesarean section on maternal request is a complex issue, it seems that those in favor of allowing women to have a maternal-choice cesarean section prevail over those against it in this round. Finally, the book focuses on physicians who had changed the history of cesarean section: François Rousset (1530-1603) who had a vision on performing cesarean section on living women, Max Sanger (1853-1903) who introduced uterine sutures, John Martin Munro Kerr (1868-1960) who introduced the transverse lower uterine segment incision, and Edwin Bradford Craigin (1859-1918) with his dictum:'once a Cesarean always a Cesarean'.

The need to improve maternal and child health care may be the most important global health need of the remaining years of the twentieth century. It is central to the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal of Health for All by the Year 2000. The vast majority of births occur in developing countries, where maternity care is often rudimentary. The rates of maternal and infant morbidity and death for these countries are extremely high but much of the morbidity and death is preventable, even with the limited resources available for health care in many parts of the world. The resources devoted to maternal and child care should be greatly expanded, but even the most hopeful projections will leave a wide gap between human needs and available services. WHO estimates that two billion deliveries in the remaining two decades of this century will not be attended by a trained person. At a minimum, it is probable that two million of these women will die in childbirth. There were approximately 130 million births in the world in 1980.

This book focuses on essential aspects of cesarean delivery: procedures, complications and recovery in a straightforward manner. The book is divided in five parts: the first part is introductory, including basic concepts such as the history and epidemiology of CS. The second part describes specific procedures, tubal ligation (with its benefits and complication) and anesthesia for CS. The third part focuses on maternal as well as neonatal short and long term complications. Recovery is covered in the forth part of the book, including early feeding, wound care, and mobilization to prevent thromboembolism. Controversial issues are covered in the last part of the book including ethics of unindicted cesarean delivery, vaginal births after cesareans delivery and the preferred timing for elective cesarean delivery.

Cesarean section rates Percentage Indication Low High Failure to progress 2. 0 4. 0 Repeat cesarean section 2. 0 6. 0 Breech and abnormal lie 1. 3 3. 5 Fetal distress 1. 5 3. 0 Third-trimester bleeding 1. 0 1. 0 Totals 7. 8 17. 5 l From Quilligan, by permission of Contemporary Obstetrics and Gynecology. vaginal delivery, I have yet to meet a physician who would do something they believed would harm their patient even if they were paid ten times as much for a section. On the other hand, there are fears and misconceptions. I have heard many doctors say'I have never been sued for a section I did, but I have been sued for the section I did not do.'The fear of not having performed a section in my opinion is real, although difficult to prove, and until the public can be educated that cesarean section delivery cannot eradicate fetal death and damage, this fear will remain and will be responsible for some unnecessary cesarean sections. Bruce Flamm and I hope this book will correct misconceptions that have been responsible for many unnecessary cesarean sections. I am still frequently asked the same old question: What is an ideal cesarean section rate? I still give an answer similar to the 1983 answer, perhaps somewhat modified.

François Rousset's sixteenth-century treatise was the first known text to promote the idea of caesarean birth. In its time, Rousset's book was translated into German and Latin, but until publication of this book there was no known English translation. The original text was highly controversial four centuries ago, and caesarean section - especially the rising rate of caesarean births, with one-quarter to one-third of women now delivered using this procedure in some countries - continues to be a source of controversy in both the medical and lay text. It therefore seems appropriate to revisit the origins of the ongoing debate. In addition to the translation, the book contains an introduction by the translator and a commentary by the editor, as well as reproductions of contemporary woodcuts and illustrations. Also included are appendices providing a brief summary of 16th century French history, and an insight into Rousset's patron and most notable patients.