Impact of body mass index, waist circumference and Pfannenstiel sitetissue thickness, and elastosonography on operative parameters

Background/aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of body fat distribution measured by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and Pfannenstiel incision site tissue thickness, and elastosonography on bleeding and operation time during cesarean delivery.Materials and methods: A prospective study was made of 52 healthy, term pregnant women with prior cesarean deliveries. The impact of BMI, WC, incision site thickness, and elastosonography on preoperative and postoperative differences in hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Htc) levels and operation times was evaluated.Results: A moderate negative relationship was found between Htc levels and WC. Htc levels were found to decrease by 0.148 units for each 1-cm increase in WC. Skin-to-fascia time was found to increase by 0.697 s with each 1-unit increase in BMI, whereas fascia-to-uterus time was found to increase by 1.117 s with each 1-cm increase in Pfannenstiel site tissue thickness. None of the elastosonographies or differences in Hb levels were found to be significant for any parameter.Conclusion: Each of the evaluated parameters was found to have an impact on different factors: WC on Htc levels, BMI on skin-to-fascia time, and Pfannenstiel tissue thickness on fascia-to-uterus time.