Delivery after a lower segment caesarean section

A retrospective study on the outcome of 130 consecutive patients with a previous lower segment Caesarean section who delivered in Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore from January to June 1989 was performed. Seventy-six percent of these patients were selected for a trial of labour and 24% of the patients had a repeat (elective) Caesarean section. Vaginal delivery was achieved in 65% of patients chosen to undergo a trial of labour. A trial of labour was found to be relatively safe with only a 0.7% incidence of uterine dehiscence and a perinatal mortality of 10.1 per 1,000 births with no maternal mortality. Cephalopelvic disproportion in the previous pregnancy and cervical dilatation during the previous Caesarean section were not important prognostic factor for the subsequent pregnancy outcome. A previous vaginal delivery in patients who had a previous Caesarean section was a good prognostic factor for a subsequent successful vaginal delivery (p < 0.05) in the trial of labour. More vaginal deliveries (p < 0.05) were achieved when oxytocic infusion was used in selected cases during the trial of labour. Maternal morbidities were higher in patients who had a failed trial of labour (57%) and repeat elective Caesarean section (20%) than those who had a successful trial of labout (10%). Management of patients with a previous lower segment Caesarean section may present a dilemma, but if properly conducted, the outcome can be favourable.