Postoperative morbidity in the morbidly obese parturient woman: supraumbilical and low transverse abdominal approaches.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine the differences in postoperative morbidity in obese women who had a supraumbilical or a Pfannenstiel incision at cesarean delivery.


METHODS
A case-control retrospective review was conducted of all patients who were at >150% ideal body weight when undergoing cesarean delivery between 1989 and 1995 by means of either a supraumbilical or a Pfannenstiel incision. Patients were excluded if medical records were unavailable. A total of 15 women who had a supraumbilical incision and 54 who had a low transverse incision were included in the analysis. Antenatal complications were examined, as were age, weight, and training level of the surgeon. Postoperative complications were then compared.


RESULTS
The groups were similar in age and antepartum complications. However, mean weight and percentage of ideal body weight in the supraumbilical group were both higher (P <.00001 and P <.0001, respectively), with the supraumbilical group 83 lb heavier on average. No significant differences were seen in any postoperative complication.


CONCLUSIONS
Postoperative morbidity in morbidly obese women undergoing cesarean delivery does not differ between a supraumbilical approach and the low transverse abdominal incision.
Houston
M C
MC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Raynor
B D
BD
D001835:Body Weight; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D014472:Umbilicus