Episiotomy

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Episiotomy - series

Overview

Recovery

Risks

Episiotomy

Risks:

Episiotomies were once routinely performed to prevent vaginal tears during delivery. Today, there is a great deal of controversy regarding the procedure. A systematic review of episiotomies in the U.S. found that the procedure offers no benefit, and stated there was no evidence to suggest it improves a woman's sexual function. The same review, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that women who have an episiotomy have more intercourse-related pain after pregnancy and take longer to resume having sex after childbirth.

Additional risks include:

Infection
Bruising
Swelling
Bleeding
Incontinence

References:

Hartmann K, Viswanathan M, Palmieri R, Gartlehner G, Thorp J Jr, Lohr KN. Outcomes of routine episiotomy: a systematic review. JAMA. 2005 May 4;293(17):2141-8.

American Pregnancy Association. Episiotomy. Available at: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/episiotomy.html. Accessed May 12, 2005.

Review Date: 5/23/2005
Reviewed By: Sharon Roseanne Thompson, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Fellow, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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