Home > Encyclopedia of Surgery > Cesarean Section

Definition

A cesarean section is a surgical procedure in which incisions are made through a woman's abdomen and uterus to deliver her baby.

Purpose

Cesarean sections, also called c-sections or cesarean deliveries, are performed whenever abnormal conditions complicate labor and vaginal delivery, threatening the life or health of the mother or the baby. Dystocia, or difficult labor, is the other common cause of c-sections. The procedure is performed in the United States on nearly one of every four babies delivered—more than 900,000 babies each year. The procedure is often used in cases where the mother has had a previous c-section.

The most common reason that a cesarean section is performed (in 35% of all cases, according to the United States Public Health Service) is the woman has...