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Chapter 1 - A History: Operative Delivery

from Part I - ANTEPARTUM

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2010

John Patrick O'Grady ,
Martin L. Gimovsky ,
Lucy A. Bayer-Zwirello  and
Kevin Giordano
John Patrick O'Grady
Affiliation:
Tufts University, Massachusetts
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Summary

Over many years, various manipulations and specialized instruments were developed to expedite delivery of viable infants or to remove the fetus and the other products of conception from the uterus in case of fetal demise or incomplete delivery. A brief historical review of the origins of operative delivery techniques increases the appreciation of modern practitioners for the complex roots of the science and art that have led to modern practice. From the inception of the operation, controversy concerning the propriety of cesarean delivery has characterized the medical literature. It was recognized very early that postmortem operations on mothers dying in labor or late in pregnancy would rarely result in a normal and surviving child. The development of atraumatic delivery instruments is a complex and fascinating part of the history of obstetrics. An important development in the use of vacuum extraction has been major improvements in practitioner education.
Type
Chapter
Information
Operative Obstetrics , pp. 1 - 21
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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