why were medieval cesarean sections fatal? Excluding obvious infection risks, why was the procedure it’s self deadly?

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Came home from a placental abruption resulting in a horrifying emergency c section and 2 week hospital stay and made a bad choice to watch House of the Dragon where cesareans are a death sentence. I did a bit of research and found out medieval c sections did happen but were only performed if the mother was dying anyway as it was always fatal. I understand that infection would’ve killed any surviving women back then but apparently they died during the operation anyway. So I’m confused about what killed women during the procedure it’s self? As far as I’m aware I did not receive a blood transfusion so it can’t have been blood loss which would’ve been my guess pre my own experience. Did they not have the medical tools necessary to put those women back together afterwards eg stitches? Or did they not know how to make insicions in a non fatal way?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Medieval C section… Underlying maternal hypertension or high blood pressure (eclampsia / pre eclampsia) causes you to hemorrhage faster or stroke via vessel ruptute. Especially in the presence of no anesthetics.

Presence of underlying anemia.

Presence of blood dyscrasia, HELLP syndrome, von willebrands, hemophilia A etc etc…

Anatomical variations in arteries supplying the uterus.

Amniotic fluid embolisms, Sepsis, septic emboli, disseminated intravascular coagulation.

This is the tip of the iceberg of complications associated with pregnancy, surgery and in particular cesarean sections.

I mean, by today’s standards it’s a high risk surgery and we have CENTURIES of knowledge, can test for this stuff and monitor/treat it. A C section in the dark ages would be a Hail Mary toss for the parturient to survive. Because you didn’t know about any of this stuff.

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