Vacuum-Assisted Delivery

Chapter 254 Vacuum-Assisted Delivery







TECHNIQUE


Adequate maternal anesthesia or analgesia should be ensured in all but the most extreme circumstances. Whenever possible, the maternal bladder should be emptied (by catheter). The exact position of the fetal head must be ascertained by palpation of the sagittal suture and fontanels. All other preparations for vaginal delivery should be in place before the vacuum device is applied.


Optimal placement of the vacuum cup is over the flexion point of the fetal head. Normally, the flexion point is in the midline, over the sagittal suture, approximately 6 cm from the anterior fontanel and 3 cm from the posterior fontanel. When the center of the vacuum cup is placed over this point, the edges of the cup should be roughly 3 cm from the anterior fontanel and just above the edge of the posterior fontanel.


To place the vacuum cup, the labia are separated and the bell-shaped cup is compressed and inserted it into the vagina while the device is angled toward the posterior vagina. (If an M-shaped or rigid cup is used, the device is flexed at the base of the shaft and inserted sideways into the vagina while being angled backward.)


The cup is placed in contact with the fetal head, with the center of the cup placed over the flexion point. The entire circumference of the cup must then be inspected (visually or by touch) to ensure that no maternal tissues intercede between the cup and the fetal head. The cup should be clear of both fontanels.

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Jun 6, 2016 | Posted by in GYNECOLOGY | Comments Off on Vacuum-Assisted Delivery

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