[Complications of elective Caesarean section performed by a special section team]

Two Danish hospitals have introduced a new organizing structure according to which planned caesarean sections are performed by a team. Caesareans are normally carried out without complications, and this makes it possible to evaluate complications to the surgery isolatedly. The object of this article was to describe the medical complications in mother and child of planned caesarean section performed in team.

A total of 534 caesarean sections were performed in team in 2004. Information on complications to caesarean sections was obtained from medical records.

The most frequent complication was blood loss of more than 1000 millilitres occurring in 2,2%. Other complications occurred with frequencies of about or less than 1%. 7% of the patients experienced a complication to caesarean performed in team. Respiratory morbidity occurred in 3.2% of the infants.

Concerning the short-term consequences, there is a low rate of fetal and maternal complications in these women in the low-risk group. Long-term consequences are not expected.