حمیرا علیاری

Considering the high prevalence of cesarean section and the methods of conducting it, this study was performed with aim to determine the relationship between rectus ablation in cesarean section and postoperative pain, thickness and distance of abdominal wall muscles.

This randomized controlled clinical trial study was conducted in 2022 80 pregnant women candidates for caesarean section referred to the Ayatollah Taleghani hospital in Tehran. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups of intervention (n=40, rectus muscle repair) and control (n=40). Pain, thickness and distance of abdominal wall muscles were evaluated. Patients' pain in the first 72 hours after entering recovery (12, 24 and 72 hours after surgery) as well as pain when leaving the bed and pain in the interval of one week after surgery was measured using the visual pain index (VAS). Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 23) and Shipro-Wilk, t-test, Mann-Whitney and Chi-square tests. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The intensity of pain in the control group compared to the intervention, when getting out of bed (P<0.001) and at 12 hours (P<0.001), 24 hours (P<0.001), 72 hours (P<0.001) and one week later (P<0.001) was lower. In the intervention group compared to the control, the need for painkillers was more (P=0.001) and diastasis recti in the epigastric area (P<0.001) and hypogaster (P<0.001) were lower.

The re-approximation of rectus abdominis muscle during cesarean section reduces the thickness of the abdominal wall muscles and diastasis recti, but on the other hand, it increases the amount of pain and the need for painkillers.