If you're listed for an ELCS, do you know who'll be doing it?

[resipsa]

Mine is listed for 29 July and the ST3 I saw today says she will probably do it (her day on rota). Should I ask for someone more senior or will she have had a lot of recent hands-on experience? I know a bit about medical training and that she's in an intermediate training post but have no idea how many ELCSs she might have done. It's a busy unit in a big hospital. Who's doing yours?

I didn't have a clue till the day. We all shook hands then they sliced me open.

Could have been the janitor for all I knew!

Assume all went well

Yes, everything was fine!

There will be a Consultant in charge of operating list on the day. If the registrar is relatively junior, they or another senior doctor will be there to assist with the surgery . The team will usually come to see you before you go down to theatre.

I'm not sure of the grade of the person who performed my EMCS. It could have been the same janitor as above! With my subsequent ELCS the registrar came to see beforehand. Upon finding out that I was medical she asked if I would like the consultant to be present - to which I said 'yes'. The registrar led the operation though.

I was also very happy to let the anaesthetic trainee do my spinal.

But in answer to your question - I've no idea of average number of sections an ST3 would have performed!

There is a school of thought that says you don't want a consultant for a routine cs because they don't do many. A keen registrar does more

My sister has just become an ST4 (so level above ST3)

She has done more c sections than I've made phone calls. You'll be fine

Thanks Brummie. I was thinking that trainees tend to have to get their hands dirty a lot and you've confirmed that is true so I'll stick with her. She looks like Gwyneth Paltrow too so will be a good distraction for husband!

Yes the registrars tend to dop more. Also have a sister who is an st3. She has been getting her hands dirty since st1. Some consultants will wander in and out of the theatre not necessarily because they don't trust the registrar but more because they are bored. Even for emergencies, although more hospitals are now starting to have in house out of hours consultants, in most cases ( think overnight, weekend) the registrars are the first on the scene although as the patient you probably have no clue. It may well be thhe janitor as others have mentioned.