Assessing Severe Surgical Complications From Cesarean Deliveries

Assessing severe surgical complications from cesarean deliveries

Cesarean delivery is the most common inpatient surgery in the U.S. but it also carries inherent surgical risks, including vascular, visceral, soft tissue, and nerve damage, which can lead to significant maternal health complications and even death.

Assessing Severe Surgical Complications from Cesarean Deliveries

Using data from nearly 600,000 births in California, the researchers found that about 1 in 60 cesarean deliveries involve a serious surgical complication, with higher rates among patients undergoing intrapartum cesarean (during labor) or those with placenta accreta (a condition where the placenta attaches too deeply into the uterine wall). This is a striking rate given that roughly 1.1 million cesareans are performed each year in the U.S., transl