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Updated: Mar 8, 2026

External Cephalic Version: Is it an Effective and Safe Procedure?
Published on: June 6, 2020
Obstetric and Anesthetic Approaches to External Cephalic Version
Stephanie Lim1, Jennifer Lucero2
1Division of Obstetric Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care, University California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Breech presentation is the most common abnormal fetal presentation and complicates approximately 3% to 4% of all pregnancies. External cephalic version (ECV) should be recommended to women with a breech singleton pregnancy, if there is no maternal or fetal contraindication. ECV increases the chance of cephalic presentation at the onset of labor and decreases the rate of cesarean delivery by almost 40%. The success rate of ECV is approximately 60%. Review of the risks and benefits for performing an ECV and for both the timing of ECV and the number of attempts should be should be discussed with the patient.
Breech presentation is the most common abnormal fetal presentation and complicates approximately 3% to 4% of all pregnancies. External cephalic version (ECV) should be recommended to women with a breech singleton pregnancy, if there is no maternal or fetal contraindication. ECV increases the chance of cephalic presentation at the onset of labor and decreases the rate of cesarean delivery by almost 40%. The success rate of ECV is approximately 60%. Review of the risks and benefits for performing an ECV and for both the timing of ECV and the number of attempts should be should be discussed with the patient.
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