Mother and child care: ‘88% of caesarean incisions are made incorrectly’

The seminar stressed the need for greater awareness among medical practitioners


Our Correspondent September 06, 2015
The seminar stressed the need for greater awareness among medical practitioners. PHOTO: REUTERS

KARACHI: During caesarean section procedures around the world, only 12 per cent of incisions are made properly, mostly in first-world countries. The remaining 88 per cent, in developing and developed countries, are not.

This was shared at a symposium on 'Advances in Gynaecology and Fetomaternal Medicine', which was organised by the Ziauddin University in collaboration with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) International Representative Committee of Pakistan on Sunday at the varsity's Clifton campus.

The symposium was organised to spread awareness among local health providers and broaden their horizons on advances in modern medicine related to mother and child care.

Professor Khaled Ismail, an RCOG representative, said that cases may worsen due to delays in decision making, delays in diagnosis and delays in treatment. "With the risk of third and fourth-degree perineal tears common during labor, it is necessary to have knowledge and skills regarding its management and treatment," he stressed.

Member of the International Menopause Society, RCOG chairperson and a counselor at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Professor Rubina Hussain, gave a lecture, titled 'Menopause-What's New'. "Menopause is an issue faced by women all over the world and requires the appropriate amount of attention," said Hussain.  She said menopause brings with it a number of changes in a woman's life and with it come a number of problems as well. Hussain also stressed the need to arrange similiar events where educated people could gather and discuss issues.

Another speaker, Professor Tariq Siddiqui, discussed thrombocytopenia in pregnant women. Siddiqui, who is a consultant oncologist at Ziauddin University, said the best way to minimise the disease's danger is to understand its diagnosis and management. He said it is very important that the diagnosis be made on time.

"Women are more commonly diagnosed with platelet disorders during pregnancy since screening is done as part of the initial clinic evaluation with automated blood counts," he said.

Dr Lubna Mushtaq, a specialist in breast surgery and a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland, spoke about pregnancy-associated breast cancer. She said that it is diagnosed during pregnancy or one year postpartum.

"This is a problem that affects approximately 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 10,000 maternities and is something that is extremely challenging for the clinician and the patient and hence needs to be addressed carefully and promptly," she said.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, the vice-chancellor of Ziauddin University, Dr Pirzada Qasim, said the symposium was arranged to make people who are affiliated with the field of gynaecology aware of the latest practices and medicines available. He said few people pay attention to the field of gynaecology and child care and that the professionals working in this profession must be well trained.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th,  2015.

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