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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
External Cephalic Version: Is it an Effective and Safe Procedure?
Published on: June 6, 2020
Routine cervical dilatation during elective cesarean delivery - Is it really necessary?
Arie Koifman1, Avi Harlev, Eyal Sheiner
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Objective:
To examine the necessity of routine cervical dilatation during elective cesarean delivery (ECD).
Material And Methods:
A retrospective cohort study including all ECD during 2005 was performed, comparing post operative complications between patients with and without cervical dilatation.
Results:
Out of 666 ECD, 348 underwent routine cervical dilatation. No significant differences were found between the cervical dilatation and the comparison group regarding postpartum febrile morbidity (5.1 and 3.1%, respectively; p = 0.071), hospitalisation duration (4.1 +/- 1.4 and 4.1 +/- 2.0 days; p = 0.95), wound infection (0.9% and 1.25%, p = 0.451) or anemia rate (9.50 +/- 0.73 and 9.54 +/- 0.65, p = 0.91). Nevertheless, among patients following a previous vaginal delivery, cervical dilatation was significantly associated with post-operative fever (OR = 5.8; 95%CI 1.2-38.0; p = 0.021).
Conclusion:
Routine cervical dilatation during ECD does not reduce post operative morbidity. Moreover, among patients with a previous vaginal delivery cervical dilatation is a risk factor for febrile morbidity.
