External cephalic version in the outpatient clinic

Gwang-Jun Kim; Ji Su Seong

doi:10.1515/jpm-2021-0325

Article

External cephalic version in the outpatient clinic

Gwang-Jun Kim and Ji Su Seong

Published/Copyright: November 1, 2021

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From the journal Journal of Perinatal Medicine Volume 50 Issue 2

Abstract

The continuous increase in the rates of cesarean section worldwide is concerning. Breech presentation is one of the major indications for cesarean section in most countries. External cephalic version (ECV) can reduce cesarean rates by approximately two-thirds in term breech pregnancies. After introduction of ultrasonography and cardiotocography before and after the procedure, ECV has become much safer. As a result, over-night fasting, intravenous access, and preoperative laboratory tests are no longer recommended as the patient’s risk of requiring emergency cesarean section is very low. We have been running the largest ECV clinic in South Korea since 2008, and ECV trials in the outpatient clinic were started in 2015. We want to share our experiences running the ECV clinic for 15 years managing more than 2000 patients.

Keywords: breech; cesarean; version

Corresponding author: Gwagn Jun Kim, MD, PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chung-Ang University Hospital 102, Heukseok-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 06973, Republic of Korea, Phone: +82 10 8781 2300, E-mail: gjkim@cau.ac.kr

Research funding: None declared.
Author contribution: All authors have contributed equally for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Ethical approval: Not applicable.

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Received: 2021-06-29

Accepted: 2021-10-05

Published Online: 2021-11-01

Published in Print: 2022-02-23

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2021-0325

Keywords for this article

breech; cesarean; version