This C-section trend is beginning to get out of hand.

[Crunchy Frog]

Doctors Perform C-Section and Find No Baby

Two North Carolina doctors have been reprimanded for performing a caesarian on a woman, only to discover she wasn't pregnant at all.

Doctors opened up the woman and found a nonpregnant uterus. The incident -- a rare case of pseudocyesis or a false or hysterical pregnancy -- happened at the Cape Fear Medical Center in Fayetteville, N.C.

The woman reportedly appeared at the hospital with her husband asking for a C-section. A resident in charge made the pregnancy diagnosis and doctors agreed to surgery after trying to induce labor for two days.

Neither doctor independently confirmed the pregnancy.

In January, after studying the case for more than a year, the North Carolina Medical Board sent "letters of concern," the lowest level of discipline, to Dr. Gerianne Geszler, who was the on-call physician, and Dr. Dorrette Grant, who performed the caesarian in 2008.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ReproductiveHealth/pregnant-mother-section-doctors-find-baby/story?id=10262881

[Warpy]

1. No ultrasound?

There is going to be a series of fine lawsuits over this one. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall for that hospital's M&M.

Munchhausen's Syndrome is well enough known that anyone should have confirmed the patient's condition, as well as gestational age to ensure fetal survival. You can't just waltz into a hospital and demand to be cut open and have it done.

This is an astonishing case on a lot of levels.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. Or what about fetal monitors that would have shown no fetal heartbeat?

It's astounding that with all of the technology available today for use during labor and childbirth that none were able to detect that the woman was not pregnant.

[Warpy]

4. Or just a STETHOSCOPE

You don't need fancy equipment to find out if there's a baby in there.

[laconicsax]

8. All the fancy technology in the world won't tell you if someone's pregnant unless you use it.

They weren't able to detect that she wasn't pregnant because they didn't check. They just followed the typical 'cut her open and sort it out later' process that is partially responsible for the out of control C-section rates in this country.

[valerief]

5. Uh, apparently you can.

<You can't just waltz into a hospital and demand to be cut open and have it done.>

Dr. Douche! Dr. Douche! Calling Dr. Douche! You're needed in the Malpractice Wing stat!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

9. OMG

you're good!

[uppityperson]

3. "Neither doctor independently confirmed the pregnancy. " Good grief.

[Tumbulu]

6. One of my sheep had to have a c-section performed

and I was appalled at what a major operation it was. Now granted it was performed by a vet student at the teaching hospital and so it probably went more slowly than usual. But still, three layers of muscle had to be cut and then the uterus itself. Then everything cleaned up and then sewn back up. It took hours and I just cannot believe that over 30% of US births are now via c-section.

It is one thing to hear about it and another to see it. I am still a bit shocked by it all.

FYI the lamb had died, we could not get it out and so to save the ewe I brought her to the vet school.

[Chemisse]

7. Even if the doctors could be forgiven for assuming the woman was pregnant

There is NO excuse for not confirming the viability of the (non) infant.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

10. maybe the dingo

ate her baby