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Long-Term Problems and Chronic Pain After Caesarean Section

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Anesthesia for Cesarean Section

Abstract

Childbirth is a major event which can affect women’s quality of life, and giving birth by caesarean section may induce long-term health problems. Among those, during the first year, fatigue and back pain are more often reported than after a vaginal delivery. In contrast, postpartum depression concerns around 10% of the women whatever the mode of delivery. The incidence of chronic postsurgical pain after caesarean section ranges from 4 to 9% in prospective studies which have excluded preexisting pain conditions, with 2% of women reporting severe pain. Scar pain predominates and very often presents with neuropathic features (50–60% of the cases at 6 months and still 26% of the cases at 12 months). Deep visceral pain is also mentioned and specifically chronic pelvic pain (incidence of 2.9% at 6 months and 1.3% at 12 months). Further, caesarean delivery seems associated with a reduced risk of chronic pelvic pain by comparison with vaginal delivery. Finally, previous caesarean section represents a significant risk factor for the development of chronic postsurgical pain after hysterectomy performed later in life. While the degree of tissue trauma has only short-term impact, long-lasting problems, specifically chronic pain, are more related to individual predisposition. It is worth noting that, although they acknowledge needing help and advices, a majority of women do not consult health professionals. It is then mandatory that women’s health after childbirth becomes a priority as shared responsibility between the caregivers and the mothers.

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  1. Department of Anaesthesiology, St Luc Hospital University Catholic of Louvain, Av Hippocrate 10-UCL 1821, 1200, Brussels, Belgium

    Patricia Lavand’homme

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Correspondence to Patricia Lavand’homme .

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  1. Dept of Anesthesiolgy, Città di Roma Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Giorgio Capogna

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Lavand’homme, P. (2017). Long-Term Problems and Chronic Pain After Caesarean Section. In: Capogna, G. (eds) Anesthesia for Cesarean Section. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42053-0_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42053-0_12

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