Abstract: Background: An increasing proportion of pregnant women attending for care have had a previous cesarean and face the question of the mode of delivery. These women are at increased risk of complications compared with other women. The primary choice for women in this situation is whether to have a repeat cesarean section or to attempt a vaginal birth. Both repeat C-section and VBAC have inherent risks for the mother and the baby. The rule of “Once a Caesarean section, forever a Caesarean" is more. However, a series of studies in the 1980s reported the relative safety of attempting vaginal birth following the Caesarean delivery (VBAC). The new rule should be “Once a Caesarean, Always a Hospital Delivery and Trial of labor.” Women considering their options for birth after a single previous cesarean should be informed that, overall, the chances of successful planned VBAC are 72-78%. The main aim of this study is to determine the success rate of the Trial of Labour after Cesarean Section (TOLAC).
Methods: The present study comprises 400 cases of pregnant women with a history of prior cesarean section, admitted in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Great Eastern Medical School & Hospital, Srikakulam. The study was conducted during the period from February 2017 to February 2018 after obtaining IEC approval.
Results: Of the 400 women who were studied, 324 underwent a trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC). Of these 324 women, 253 had a successful VBAC yielding a success rate of 78.1%. Conclusion: It is evident from the results that Trial of labor after cesarean section should be an important option since there is a very high chance of successful vaginal birth following the Caesarean delivery. Keywords: Trial of Labour after Caesarean Section (TOLAC), Vaginal Birth after Caesarean Section (VBAC), Elective Repeat Caesarean Section (ERCS), Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS), Delivery