Cesarean Delivery

The cesarean operation, which usually takes from thirty to sixty minutes, begins with the administration of anesthesia by use of intravenous and inhaled anesthetic agents (general anesthesia) or the injection of anesthetic medications into the spinal canal (spinal anesthesia) or just outside of the spinal canal (epidural anesthesia). The skin of the abdomen is cleansed with antiseptic solution and surgical drapes are placed to maintain a sterile operating field during the procedure. An incision is made in the abdomen, after which a second incision is made in the uterus (womb) that is large enough to permit removal of the baby. The umbilical cord is clamped and cut, and the infant is handed to a nurse or doctor assigned specifically to care for the infant. The placenta (afterbirth) is then delivered through the same incisions. The incisions are closed with sutures (stitches) or other types of wound-closure devices. The expense of a cesarean birth is about two to three times that of a vaginal birth because of the additional personnel, equipment, and time required for performing the operation and the somewhat longer hospital stay following the birth.