Via Medical News Today:
Consumer Reports has named cesarean section number three on its list of “12 Surgeries You May Be Better Off Without.” The recommendation, based on research at the non-profit Rand Corporation, encourages consumers to “check out safer alternatives” before having any of the 12 listed “invasive procedures.” (link).
The number three ranking of cesarean surgery appears just above episiotomy (#4) and hysterectomy (#5) and below angiography (#1) and angioplasty (#2). The recommendation from Consumer Reports Medical Guide comes on the heels of the Centers for Disease Control report showing that the primary cesarean rate in the United States has reached a historical high of 20.6 percent and an overall rate at 29.1 percent in 2004. The latest overall rate reported in Canada is 22.6 percent.
