Considering the patient's right to autonomy and the trend towards more involvement of the patient in the decision making, it is our belief that obstetricians should consider the woman's request for cesarean section without medical indication. The procedure can only be carried out after obtaining proper consent of the patient with careful information including a detailed description of the possible risks and benefits of both modes of delivery. In order to decrease the risk of respiratory distress syndrome, cesarean section under these circumstances should not be performed prior to 39 weeks' gestation. Debating over whether or not to charge women who request a cesarean section that is not medically indicated is fruitless, since rigorous cost studies are lacking and since any implementation of such a system would be extremely difficult.
Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel