Trends in instrument preference for operative vaginal delivery in a tertiary referral center: 2008-2021

To examine temporal trends in operative vaginal deliveries as well as the ratio between vacuum and forceps deliveries over 15 years in a large tertiary hospital.

This retrospective study assessed prospectively collected data from 2008 to 2021. Women with greater than 37 weeks of gestation who underwent an operative vaginal delivery were included. The rate and ratio of instrumental deliveries and perineal trauma were recorded.

From 2008 to 2021 there was a total of 109 230 term deliveries, of which 20 151 were an operative vaginal delivery. The rate of operative vaginal delivery as a proportion of all term deliveries decreased from 21.9% (1547 of 7069) in 2008 to 17.1% in 2021 (1428 of 8338, P < 0.001). The ratio between vacuum and forceps-assisted deliveries decreased significantly over the study period, from 7.06 in 2008 to 2.39 in 2021 (P < 0.001). Perineal trauma remained unchanged during the study period.

Operative vaginal delivery rates declined over the 15-year study period. While vacuum-assisted vaginal deliveries remain the favored instrument, forceps-assisted deliveries are becoming more prevalent. The cause for this change in practice is unclear but is likely multifactorial.