Morbidity from episiotomy

Abstract

Objective: To assess the morbidity from episiotomy.

Methods: The prospective randomised control study was conducted at the Military Hospital Rawalpindi's Gynaecology & Obstetrics Department from January 2006 to April 2008. It comprised 100 patients who were given a mediolateral episiotomy at the crowning of the foetal head (group 1). Another group of 100 patients were delivered without an episiotomy (group 2). Postpartum morbidity was compared in the two groups. Morbidity included perineal damage by tears, subjective assessment of pain at perineum, dyspareunia after puerperium, feeling of pressure puerperium, incontinence and objective assessment of prolapse after puerperium.

Results: Morbidity including perineal damage by tears, pain at perineum and dyspareunia, was much more in group I as compared to the group II. There was no significant difference in feeling of pressure perineum, subjective feeling of urinary and flatus incontinence or objective assessment of prolapse of vagina and uterus.

Conclusion: There are no significant advantages of episiotomy. In fact, it leads to morbidity which is otherwise avoidable in deliveries that are episiotomy-free.