Comparison of Incision Angle of Mediolateral Episiotomy at 40 and 60 Degrees (IAME)

The angle at which an episiotomy can be made is a continuous variable. If the investigators consider midline to be 0 degrees and a lateral episiotomy (never used today) to be 90 degrees, then it is theoretically possible to choose any angle from 0 to 90 degrees.

Episiotomy is a surgical incision to the perineum in order to enlarge the vaginal orifice during the second stage of labor. Although seven types of episiotomy have been described in the literature , the most frequently performed types are the mediolateral and median episiotomies, with the former being the most common one. Despite being a common obstetric practice, the exact definition of a "mediolateral" episiotomy is often unclear. Several studies and reports, however, stated that a significant proportion of the so-claimed mediolateral episiotomy were not actually mediolateral. The current trial compares two angles of mediolateral episiotomy , regarding the risk of third- and fourth-degree perineal tearing, episiotomy-related pain and dyspareunia in primiparous women at a large tertiary maternity center, namely Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.

Inclusion Criteria: Primigravida with singleton pregnancy presenting by vertex. Gestational age > 37 weeks No instrumental delivery. No fetal distress or any emergency Exclusion Criteria: Women had an episiotomy because of fetal distress and for technical reasons (emergency or episiotomy incised prior to the fetal head crowning the perineum. Inability to understand the informed consent.

El-Din AS, Kamal MM, Amin MA. Comparison between two incision angles of mediolateral episiotomy in primiparous women: a randomized controlled trial. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2014 Jul;40(7):1877-82. doi: 10.1111/jog.12432.