Low-incidence cesarean section: 12-year experience.

At the Mayo Clinic from 1962 through 1973, 592 cesarean sections were done among 16,181 deliveries (3.7%); 48% were primary procedures, and 52% were performed because of previous cesarean delivery. Regional anesthesia using epidural block recently has replaced a balanced general anesthesia as the anesthesia of choice for cesarean sections. Although the low cervical operation was performed in most cases, the classic operation and cesarean hysterectomy were used when indicated. In our series, prophylactic antibiotic therapy failed to decrease the maternal morbidity, and the most frequent causes of neonatal mortality were prematurity and respiratory problems.