A randomised prospective study of 407 primiparous patients compared the consequences of midline and mediolateral episiotomies. The patients' estimates of the pain from their episiotomies were similar. Anal sphincter injury was significantly more common after a midline procedure but no rectovaginal fistulae occurred. Scarring was less noticeable after the midline incision and intercourse began earlier.ALTHOUGH episiotomy is the most commonly performed surgical procedure in modern obstetrics, extensive disagreement exists about the best incision to use.A midline episiotomy is said to be more comfortable for the woman and recovery is less often complicated than after a mediolateral incision (Beynon
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.