BACKGROUND Episiotomy is the surgical enlargement of the vaginal orifice by an incision of the perineum during the second stage of labor or just before delivery of the baby. During the 1970s, it was common to perform an episiotomy for almost all women having their first delivery, ostensibly for prevention of severe perineum tears and easier subsequent repair. However, there are no data availabl...

The use of episiotomy emerged with the advent of "modern obstetrics". Few of the benefits attributed to it have been sustained by scientific study. The author of this article explores the interrelationship between episiotomy and other interventions in the second stage of labour and makes a plea for a reassessment of our management of this stage of labour. In particular, he questions the place o...

OBJECTIVE This article provides the estimates of the cost implications of switching from routine to restrictive episiotomy in 2 provinces in Argentina (Santa Fe and Salta) from the viewpoint of the health provider. STUDY DESIGN A decision-tree model was constructed that used the probabilities and patient outcomes (the results of a trial in Argentina), resource use, cost, and local epidemiolog...

BACKGROUND Pain is one of the side effects of episiotomy. The virtual reality (VR) is a non-pharmacological method for pain relief. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of using video glasses on pain reduction in primiparity women during episiotomy repair. METHODS This clinical trial was conducted on 30 primiparous parturient women having labor at Omolbanin Hospital (Mashhad,...

In this prospective pilot study the efficiency of an inflatable, balloon-shaped vaginal dilatator (Epi-no®) was examined. This Birth Trainer is designed to gently mechanically expand the birth canal and to therefore reduce the episiotomy rate and improve the fetal outcome. 50 primiparae with a gestational age of 38 completed weeks aiming at a spontaneous birth participated in this Birth Trainin...

BACKGROUND According to some published studies, neuraxial analgesia may be associated with prolonged labor and an increased risk for instrumental vaginal delivery. However, its effects on episiotomy are unknown. This study aimed to examine the incidence of episiotomy with and without combined spinal-epidural analgesia (CSEA) during labor. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study, in whic...

Episiotomy is obstetric procedure during which the incision extends the vestibule of the vagina during the second stage of labor. Episiotomy was extensively spread with gradual increase of rates in the first half of the 20th century and was performed medio-laterally in all nulliparous women with the idea to protect fetal head from trauma and pelvic floor from injuries. However, reports claiming...

Introduction: Episiotomy is a surgical incision made in the perineum to enlarge it. Perineal pain is the most common complaint of mothers after episiotomy. Chamomile extract has been proposed as a sedative in traditional medicine. This study was conducted to assess the effect of chamomile cream on the pain after episiotomy. Methods: This triple blind clinical trial was performed on 114 eligible...

Objective: To compare the morbidity following episiotomy repair by rapidly absorbed polyglactin and chromic catgut. Materials & Methods: This prospective longitudinal study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical College, Kolkata. 100 primigravida with episiotomy were divided into 2 groups Group I:CC (n=50) repaired with no 1,0 chromic catgut and Group II:VR (n=50...

objective: to compare the efficacy of emla cream and lidocaine injection to reduce pain during episiotomy repair. materials and methods: a total of 46 primiparous women with normal pregnancy who referred for normal vaginal delivery and needed episiotomy repair were selected and randomly divided into two groups. for emla group, one hour before the estimated time of delivery, 5g of emla cream was...