A 24 year old woman pregnant with her first child had been

Last updated: 5/23/2023

A 24 year old woman pregnant with her first child had been in the second stage of labor pushing for several hours The crown of the child s head was just visible through the vaginal orifice but the obstetrician was concerned that the woman was exhausted and was no longer able to push effectively She decided to perform an episiotomy to enlarge the opening of the birth canal and assist the delivery of the baby a What is an episiotomy and why would it be performed b Episiotomies are generally made as a midline incision If the incision where to continue tearing what perineal structure could be damaged