Re: 'educated' women

[Kleimar]

I really think all women considering elective cesareans should be shown graphic videos of the operation and exactly what will be done to their body. As a midwifery student I was quite interested to witness my first c/s and it was nothing at all like the pre-op videos I had seen in CBE classes or at school and certainly not at all like the birthday TV shows. Also, since there is quite a lot of variety in the length of time to perform the surgery etc., I think several such videos should be shown to those requesting elective c/s for non obstetric/medical reasons. I think this would be true informed consent. Having been with a few friends lately who have had necessary surgeries for a variety of conditions, I was shocked at how the body trauma of the surgery was minimised to these women. I was also shocked at the response I received when I tried to inform one family of the help their mum would need after such a major operation (she nee! ! ded a complete hysterectomy after torsion of her fallopian tube and her ovary becoming a 5 pound mass). The surgeons had really minimised the post-op recovery etc.. presumably to get my friend to have the surgery, which incidently I totally agreed she needed. Anyway, I think people need reality checks every now and again.  marilyn