Operative vaginal deliveries – a relic of the past or a promising prospect?

Introduction: Growing development of obstetrics and gynecology was followed by a decrease in the frequency of operative vaginal deliveries. This occurrence has been observed over the years, coming hand in hand with an increasing popularity of caesarean sections. Operative vaginal deliveries include vacuum deliveries and forceps deliveries, which both may be an alternative to some cases of emergency caesarean sections. Aim of the study: The aim of our study was to depict the most important aspects of operative vaginal deliveries, analyze their complications, and to try to compare the consequences of mentioned techniques. Careful analysis of these issues can facilitate the decision-making process in obstetric practice. Materials and methods: A review of the current literature was made in the accessible PubMed and Google Scholar database, using the keywords: „operative vaginal deliveries”, „forceps delivery”, „vacuum delivery”. Moreover, textbooks concerning obstetrics and gynecology were reviewed in terms of operative vaginal deliveries. Conclusions: Both forceps and vacuum deliveries have variety of uses, especially in cases of slowed progress of the second stage of labor. They both have distinct differences, the analysis of which may help the obstetrician to choose the best possible method for each case. These techniques may prove to be a useful tool in preventing unnecessary caesarean sections and their complications, especially when performed by experienced doctors.