How common is the Zavanelli Maneuver?

Claire999999 · October 2011

The Zavanelli Maneuver is used in cases of shoulder dystocia where no other methods are working. The doctor pushes the baby's head back into the vagina and from there performs a c section. I've been looking on google and for the life of me cannot find results that tell me how often it is performed.

Anybody know?

pepomntpat · October 2011

I found this. It is unfortunately not dated, but whenever it was written there had only been 9 cases of the Zavanelli Maneuver being used. It does have a resource list which may help you in your research.

https://www.thefarm.org/midwives/dystocia.html

NoodleM · October 2011

My friend had this done, the top of the babies head was poking out but the baby was positioned wrong and they couldn't push her out so they pushed her back in and did a c section

lwogsland · October 2011

Extremely rare..babies and mothers have a high mortality rate if this method is needed..it's an absolute last resort.

mrsseguin · October 2011

I don't think it too common. I work in L&D, and see many shoulder dystocias...and some pretty bad ones too. I would never want to see one!

To the previous poster who said her friend had it done...the babies head needs to be all the way out, not just poking out a bit. And they need to have tried MANY other maneuvers to get the baby out. Usually by the time they would attempt the Zavanelli maneuver things are probably pretty ugly and I've been told almost all the babies die. Sometimes they have to dismantle the baby and continue with a vag delivery.

Mrs.DeliaMarieP · October 2011

Very, very rare according to my OB.

But, I did have it performed on me with my 1st because he got stuck on the base of my spine.

He estimated that, on the high end, maybe 50 women in the US have ever had it done.

If you have any questions as to my story, please feel free to PM me about it and I will gladly respond.

ETA: Both my son and I were perfectly fine, and we were very, very lucky. His head was not completely out, but only to just below his eyes and above his nostrils. My OB did try every other method in the book but could not get them to work- tried delivering his arm first but couldn't reach his hand, tried turning his head a bit and a few other things- but nothing worked so he gently pushed him back in (said later that he was surprised at how easily DS went back in), I felt his bottom hit my rib cage- very thankfully I had an epidural so they did not have to knock me out to do the C-section. My mom had to come around from my head to look because she knew she'd seen DS's head come out. My DH said he saw the startled look in the OB's eyes when he realized he had to do the Zavanelli maneuver, and the room went silent with shock for a second when he said: "Nope, C-section"

Claire999999 · October 2011

Is that technically the Zavanelli maneuver since the head wasn't all the way out?

Claire999999 · October 2011

What part of him was stuck on your spine? His head or his body?

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