Is the Vacuum Extractor Really the Instrument of First Choice?

This study was a retrospective analysis of the pattern of usage of both the forceps and vacuum extractor as well as the neonatal outcome on all the instrumental deliveries conducted in 1995 at the Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore. There were a total of 927 forceps deliveries and 495 vacuum extractions but neonatal data was available for only 481 forceps and 255 vacuum extractor babies. (There were 2 neonatal units which accepted admissions on alternate days; all of the data were collected from 1 of the units only). Demographic data were comparable in most aspects except that vacuum deliveries were significantly associated with higher parity and shorter labours. There was a trend towards using the vacuum extractor in less difficult cases. Almost all the instrumental deliveries were conducted by specialists. Birth trauma was significantly more likely to occur with the vacuum extractor. Almost all the deliveries were conducted with similar expertise in both groups, yet the use of the vacuum extractor resulted in more birth trauma even in the presence of 'easier' cases. This may suggest an inherent risk in using the vacuum extractor.     

Have Kielland Forceps Reached Their ''Use By'' Date?

Kielland forceps have long been used in Australian hospitals for rotation and delivery from occipitolateral and occipitoposterior positions. We have studied the pattern and use of these forceps in our hospital, and conducted a statewide survey of obstetric trainees about their experience with Kielland forceps. We conclude that current obstetric training programmes are unlikely to provide registrars with sufficient skill in their safe use.     

Massive Bilateral Phaeochromocytomas in Association with Von Hippel Lindau Syndrome in Pregnancy

We report a rare case of large bilateral phaeochromocytomas in pregnancy, found coincidentally by ultrasonography at 26 weeks' gestation, in a woman with a family history of Von Hippel Lindau syndrome. Further, we report maternal and fetal serum and amniotic fluid phenoxybenzamine levels from this case.     

Modern Antioestrogens and the Coming Revolution in Women''s Health Care

This review will focus on antioestrogens and selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMS). The more traditional SERMS, clomiphene citrate and tamoxifen, will be reviewed along with such modern drugs as raloxifene and faslodex, with emphasis upon their actions on breast, uterus, bone and lipids. The future potential of these medications, in the management of oestrogen-dependent gynaecological conditions such as endometriosis, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, fibroids and breast cancer will be discussed.     

Medical Treatment of a Uterine Arteriovenous Malformation

EDITORIAL COMMENT: A certain degree of scepticism in medicine is to be encouraged if for no other reason than to promote thought about aetiology and different methods of treatment. We have published 3 previous case reports in our journal on the successful management of so called arteriovenous malformations of the uterus (A, B, C). Since the new technology has become available that allows precise diagnosis of arteriovenous fistulas there have been numerous case reports on such lesions in the uterus in the gynaecological literature. One wonders what happened to these patients previously. Surely many must have had curettage performed for menorrhagia and yet how often was it necessary to perform hysterectomy for uncontrollable uterine haemorrhage after such a procedure? The only patient the editor can remember treating who required an emergency hysterectomy for torrential haemorrhage following curettage was a 17-year-old woman with an unsuspected choriocarcinoma, who had a preoperative diagnosis of incomplete abortion (D). From the point of view of aetiology, surely these lesions should be called arteriovenous fistulas rather than malformations because the patients often have had previous uterine surgery or complications that could have been causal. We accepted this case for publication because it suggests that trial of hormone therapy is a reasonable method of treatment in patients with uterine arteriovenous fistulas who have not got intractable haemorrhage and who wish to preserve their uterus.     

Estimating the Rate of Cesarean Section by Maternal Request: Anonymous Survey of Obstetricians in Australia

Background: The rate of cesarean section in Australia now exceeds 30 percent, and evidence from population studies indicates that maternal requests for elective cesarean delivery might make an important contribution. The objective of this study was to explore the rate of such deliveries in Australia, in the absence of a formal investigation. Methods: An anonymous survey was sent to all 1,239 specialist obstetricians and 317 obstetric specialty trainees in Australia. Specialists were asked the number of elective cesarean deliveries they performed in 2006 that satisfied the National Institutes of Health definition of maternal request cesarean delivery. Trainees were asked whether they intended to agree to maternal requests for cesarean section in their future specialist practice. Results: The response rate from specialists was 98.6 percent, and from trainees was 81 percent. To account for possibility of multiple submissions, we performed two analyses: one using all responses, the other after removing 297 surveys in the second mail‐out that were identical to surveys received from the first mail‐out (n = 735). Proportions were similar in both groups. We estimated that between 8,553 and 12,434 maternal request cesarean sections were performed in Australia in 2006, representing at least 17 percent of all elective cesarean sections, and slightly more than 3 percent of all births. Conclusion: Maternal request is an important contributor to cesarean section rates in Australia.