Surgical Management

Procedure Date Brief Description Indication or Purpose

Performed
Cesarean Cesarean section is a
Section procedure in delivering
Delivery the baby through the
incision of the abdomen
and uterus. This
procedure is usually
done if the fetus is in an
abnormal position, too
large to be delivered
vaginally, and if there
are placental
complications, such as
placenta previa.
 If the baby is too large to
be delivered vaginally.
 When the baby is in a
transverse position during
labor.
 Placenta Previa
 Active herpes lesions in
the mother’s vagina or
cervix
Complications:
 Bleeding
 Injury to the bladder or
bowel
 Infection in the uterus
 Wound infection
 Difficulty urinating and/or
urinary tract infection
 Delayed return of bowel
function

Nursing responsibilities prior to, during, and after procedure:

Before:
 Secure the informed consent from the patient.
 Assess the woman about past surgeries, secondary illnesses, allergies to foods or drugs,
reaction to anesthesia, and medications that could increase any surgical risk.
 Explain to the mother what would happen during the operation to reduce her anxiety.
 Acknowledge the mother’s fear of surgery and assure her that it is normal to feel fear
before the operation to increase her self-esteem.
During:
 While the anesthesia is administered, assist the mother to move from the stretcher to the
operating table.
  Encourage the mother to remain on her side or insert a pillow under her right hip to keep
her body slightly tilted to the side to prevent supine hypotension.
 To prepare the skin, shave away abdominal hair and wash the skin over the incision site
with soap and water to reduce the bacteria on the skin.
 Cover the mother with a sterile drape to block the flow of bacteria from her respiratory
tract to the incision site.
 Expose only a small area of the incision site.
After:
 Assess the patients’ pain through the use of pain scale.
 Monitor for any complications that might appear and report it to the physician.
 Monitor the mother’s vital sign.
 Inform the mother to avoid taking in aspirin because it can interfere with blood clotting
and healing.
 When the mother is breastfeeding her baby, encourage her to use football hold position
to deflect the weight of the baby away from the suture line and reduce the pain.
 Reassure the mother that it is normal not to have bowel movements for 3 to 4 days after
the operation.

https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=cesarean-delivery-92-P07768
https://nurseslabs.com/cesarean-birth/