Lateral Episiotomy in Vacuum Assisted Delivery for First-Time Mothers
Objective
To compare the effect of lateral episiotomy versus no episiotomy on obstetric anal sphincter injury in first-time mothers requiring vacuum extraction.
Study Design
A multicentre, open label, randomised controlled trial conducted in eight hospitals in Sweden from 2017 to 2023.
Participants
717 first-time mothers with a single live fetus of 34 gestational weeks or more, requiring vacuum extraction.
Intervention
First-time mothers were randomly assigned to receive either a lateral episiotomy or no episiotomy during vacuum extraction.
Main Outcome Measures
The primary outcome was obstetric anal sphincter injury diagnosed by combined visual inspection and digital examination.
Results
The study found that lateral episiotomy significantly reduced the risk of obstetric anal sphincter injury compared to no episiotomy in first-time mothers requiring vacuum extraction.
Conclusions
Lateral episiotomy can be recommended for first-time mothers requiring vacuum extraction to reduce the risk of obstetric anal sphincter injury.
Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02643108.
