Caesarean Section in a Tertiary Hospital in South-South, Nigeria: A 3-year Review

Background: Caesarean section is the delivery of the foetus, placenta, and foetal membranes through an incision on the abdominal and uterine walls after the age of foetal viability. It is a life-saving surgical procedure, which has helped reduce maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality over the years. Objective: To determine the rates, indications, outcomes, and complications of Caesarean section at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This research was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, South-South, Nigeria between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2020. It was a retrospective study. Data was retrieved from the labour ward records, delivery register, theatre records, and patients’ folders during the period under review, and entered into a pre-designed proforma. Data were analysed with IBM SPSS version 23.0. Results were presented in frequencies and percentages for categorical variables and mean and standard deviation for continuous variables. Results: About 959 women had Caesarean section (CS) out of 2,263 deliveries, giving a Caesarean section rate of 42.4%. The commonest indication for emergency Caesarean section was cephalopelvic disproportion (36.0%), while that for elective Caesarean section was repeat Caesarean section (19.6%). Conclusion: The Caesarean section rate in our Centre is extremely high, almost three times the acceptable upper limit set by the WHO. Encouraging vaginal birth after Caesarean section as a means to reduce this high rate is recommended as it was noted that previous Caesarean section was a leading indication for surgeries.