episiotomy

American  

[uh-pee-zee-ot-uh-mee, ep-uh-sahy-] / əˌpi ziˈɒt ə mi, ˌɛp ə saɪ- /

noun

Obstetrics, Surgery.

episiotomies plural

1. an incision into the perineum and vagina to allow sufficient clearance for birth.

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episiotomy British  

/ əˌpiːzɪˈɒtəmɪ /

noun

1. surgical incision into the perineum during the late stages of labour to prevent its laceration during childbirth and to make delivery easier

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episiotomy Scientific  

/ ĭ-pĭz′ē-ŏt′ə-mē,ĭ-pē′zē- /

1. Surgical incision of the perineum during vaginal childbirth to facilitate delivery.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• episiotomies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of episiotomy

1875–80; < Greek epísio ( n ) pubic region + -tomy

Example Sentences

I remember looking at my episiotomy scar and it looked tiny.

From The Guardian • Feb. 9, 2019

The doula, Cindy Jaime, said that just before the December 2010 incident, Sutton was “noticeably irritated” by the woman’s repeated reminders that she didn’t want an episiotomy.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2018

I wanted to be fully awake to experience giving birth, but my obstetrician performed an extensive episiotomy under anaesthetic that took months to heal.

From The Guardian • Dec. 2, 2016

Until recent decades, it was routine procedure for an obstetrician to numb the perineum and perform an episiotomy, an incision in the posterior vaginal wall and perineum.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Both an episiotomy and a perineal tear need to be sutured shortly after birth to ensure optimal healing.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013