A Study of Cesarean Deliveries From a Single Midwestern Residency Program: Total Surgical Time, Incision-to-Delivery Time, and Neonatal Apgar Scores

Background: Cesarean delivery surgical quality indicators and outcomes support the surgical skills of family medicine physicians. These data have educational and clinical implications yet are largely unexplored. Our study updated cesarean surgical times, incision-to-delivery time, and neonatal Apgar scores from a midwestern family medicine residency program. Methods: All cesarean deliveries performed by family medicine faculty from January 2012 to March 2021 were reviewed. Total surgical time, incision-to-delivery time, Apgar scores at 1 and 5 min, and maternal demographic information were recorded. Results: 320 cesarean deliveries were reviewed. The average total surgical procedure time was 64.3 min (SD = 17.9) and incision-to-delivery time was 9.5 min (SD = 4.9). The average 1-min Apgar score was 7.5 (SD = 1.8) and the average 5-min Apgar score was 8.7 (SD = 1.0). There were no significant correlations between 1- and 5-min Apgar scores and procedure times. Conclusion: Cesarean delivery quality indicators from family medicine faculty are updated and appear similar to those reported previously in studies that did not include the presence of learners. This EMR-based study provides baseline information for future surgical cesarean delivery quality improvement and outcomes research.