Sir, Varga and Bódis’ experience with the Misgav Ladach technique for cesarean section (1) is certainly an interesting and extensive one. It is also curious to see how some aspects of surgical technique are so dependent on local policies. For instance, the number of drains left, presumably in the subaponeurotic space, in both lower midline and Pfannenstiel incisions (40 and 72%, respectively) seemed to us very high. While we are aware that it is common in some centers to drain this space when using the Pfannenstiel incision, in others this is seldomly performed with apparently very similar results! Another curious aspect of this paper is the reported mean operating times, namely for the Misgav Ladach technique. The Uppsala group (2), from whom the authors learned the technique, refer mean operating times of 12.5 minutes – roughly three times less! Of course, the present study included the surgeons’ initial learning period and many different people performed the operations, but even so, is this enough to justify the difference? Or could it not be that, as occurred elsewhere, slight technical modifications were used, once again dependent on local practices? One must not forget that a detailed description of the Misgav Ladach technique was only published recently (3) while its main principles (Joel Cohen abdominal opening, single layer closure of the uterus, and non-closure of the peritoneum) were described in 1995 (4). Consequently, a detailed description is probably warranted in studies evaluating this technique in different centers, as technical variations are very frequent. While it is certain that the development of modifications may weaken a technique, as they can create uncertainty when comparing results between publications, they may also be the way of arriving at the best technical solutions or of providing surgeons with different alternatives. In our experience, for instance, modifying the Misgav Ladach technique was the only way of putting it into practice, as our women were unwilling to accept the higher Joel Cohen abdominal incision, and many of the staff did not consider some of the steps evidence-based. The extraordinary practicality of the Misgav Ladach technique, whether modified or not, is self-evident to all those who perform it, and after being at ease with it, no one that I know of wants to return to previous methods. While the majority of papers evaluating this technique have reported encouraging results, study design can frequently be criticized, as it may be subject to bias, namely in selection of patients and publication of favorable results. For solid evidence of its more than probable benefits, large and well-conducted randomized controlled trials are needed, comparing it with what is probably still today the most widely used technique – the transverse lower uterine segment cesarean section described by Kerr, using the Pfannenstiel abdominal incision. This would certainly be, at this stage, the most important contribution towards the wider dissemination of the technique.
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