Appraisal Of Caesarean Section At The Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, Southeastern Nigeria.

Background: There is a general aversion to caesarean section among Nigerian women. However, with increasing safety of the procedure and better enlightenment, more women are beginning to accept the procedure. To maintain this increasing acceptability, Caesarean section rate as well as its attendant morbidity and mortality must be reduced to the barest minimal levels. The aim of the study is to determine the rate and the complications associated with Caesarean section at the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu.Methods: A four-year descriptive study from June 2004 to May 2008 from the Obstetrics Department of Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu was conducted. All pregnant women that delivered by Caesarean section was included. The data were analyzed using simple percentages, p-value and chi-square where necessary.Results: There were 363 (33.2%) mothers who underwent Caesarean sections out of 1094 deliveries in the unit during the period under review. Postoperative complications occurred in 52 patients (14.5%). The complications cut across all reproductive age groups and parity. The commonest complications encountered were wound infection (11.5%), postpartum haemorrhage (10.1%) and anaemia (6.4%). The mortality rate was 0.8%.Conclusion: The caesarean section rate of 33.2% and complication rate of 14.5% are still high even though they are less than the figures quoted for some environments. There is still need to reduce this rate to the barest minimum for us to be able to sustain the gains of the past.