Nearly 1 in 60 cesarean deliveries involved severe perioperative surgical morbidity, with higher rates during intrapartum procedures, researchers found in a recent study.
The cross-sectional study was published Aug. 21 in Obstetrics & Gynecology and led by University of California San Francisco professor Alexander Butwick, MD. It involved a California billing code analysis of nearly 600,000 cases and introduced a surgery-specific index capturing complications such as shock, major organ injury and wound breakdown.
The measure could help hospitals benchmark outcomes and guide quality-improvement strategies, Dr. Butwick said in an Aug. 25 news release from the university.
Risk was elevated in patients with chronic hypertension, prior cesareans, placenta accreta spectrum disorder and procedures performed at nonurban or lower-volume hospitals. The findings underscore the need for stronger preparedness and surgical safety initiatives in cesarean care, researchers said.
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