Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the decision-to-delivery interval for forceps delivery and vacuum extraction.
Study design: A retrospective analysis of all instrumental deliveries over a 1-year period in a delivery ward of a university tertiary health care facility was performed. The decision-to-delivery interval was compared between forceps delivery and vacuum extraction.
Results: The decision-to-delivery interval was 8.6+/-5.4 and 13.8+/-6.2 min for forceps and vacuum deliveries, respectively (P=0.0001).
Conclusion: It appears that it is quicker to accomplish forceps delivery than vacuum extraction.