Cesarean section: Complications and consequences

Cesarean section is considered a completely safe operation. However, there is a risk of developing some complications. With this surgery, the recovery process lasts longer than after vaginal delivery.

After caesarean section, women often experience such complications:

• infection
• high blood loss
• blockage of veins
• nausea, vomiting and acute headache after childbirth (after anesthesia)
• death (in very rare cases - 6 cases per 100 thousand births). In the case of emergency caesarean section, the risk level slightly increases - 18 per 100 thousand births.

Risk factors for newborns:

• birth trauma;
• the need for special care (resuscitation);
• underdevelopment of the lungs (if the cesarean section is prescribed before the due date - up to 39 weeks).

Although most women recover after cesarean section and vaginal delivery quickly and without complications, nevertheless, in the case of surgery, special care and supervision is required. Usually after caesarean section (without complications), women spend about 3 days in the hospital, compared with 2 after vaginal delivery. Complete recovery after cesarean section takes 4 to 6 weeks, and after vaginal delivery - from 1 to 2 weeks.

Consequences of caesarean section

Women who have a suture on the walls of the uterus may experience negative consequences of surgery in the future in subsequent pregnancies.

• Seam divergence during subsequent pregnancy or childbirth.
• Placenta previa.
• Placenta growth, placenta incubation, placenta germination (from mild to severe forms), placenta germination into the uterine walls deeper than usual, which provokes severe bleeding after delivery, and in some cases requires removal of the uterus (hysterectomy).

Cesarean section: Postoperative period

After such a surgical intervention as a cesarean section, a woman is under the supervision of doctors for 24 hours because of the risk of complications. During this period, you will be given pain medication and will recommend starting to walk a little. Usually women feel discomfort at the first attempts to walk, but the pain will gradually go away and after a few days will completely disappear. As a rule, a woman remains in the hospital for 3 days after delivery, and if possible, she can feed and take care of the child. Before discharge, you will be given detailed postoperative recommendations and tell about the signs of complications. The recovery process after cesarean section lasts 4 weeks or more, while it is normal to have minor pain in the area of the suture during the first year after childbirth.

Signs of complications

• You use more gaskets than usual (if you have already given birth, then, for sure, you know that in the postoperative period, bleeding is negligible).
• Vaginal bleeding increases, the blood is still bright red on the 4th day after birth or you notice blood clots the size of a bigger golf ball. Pain in the abdominal cavity is often observed.
• There are signs of infection: increased temperature or discharge in the seam area.
• The seam opens and starts to bleed.
• Turn a head.
• The back of the shin starts to ache and swelling is observed, it becomes difficult for you to breathe or feel pain in your chest (signs of blood clots).
• There are signs of postpartum depression:
  • you are haunted for a long time by a feeling of despair or helplessness;
  • dangerous, restless thoughts or hallucinations;
• Vaginal discharge has a bad smell.
• The abdomen is solid and full.
• Chest painful, reddish hue, while the temperature rises (signs of engorgement of mammary glands and mastitis).

Some women after caesarean section feel pain in the forearm, but this is not a sign of concern, since pain of this type is considered reflex as a result of a trauma to the abdominal muscles during childbirth. These symptoms usually occur during the recovery period.

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