A Pfannenstiel incision , Kerr incision, Pfannenstiel-Kerr incision or pubic incision is a type of abdominal
surgical incision
In surgery, a surgical incision is a cut made through the skin and soft tissue to facilitate an operation or procedure. Often, multiple incisions are possible for an operation. In general, a surgical incision is made as small and unobtrusive as ...
that allows access to the
abdomen
The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...
. It is used for gynecologic and orthopedics surgeries, and it is the most common method for performing
Caesarian section
Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or ...
s today. This incision is also used in Stoppa approach for orthopedics surgeries to treat pelvic fractures.
The Pfannenstiel incision offers a large view of the central pelvis but limits exposure to the lateral pelvis and upper abdomen, factors that limit the usefulness of this incision for gynecologic cancer surgery.
This incision is commonly called the "
bikini line incision". Some common reasons for this surgical access are
obstetric delivery and
hernia repair. It is often used in preference to other incision types for the sake of aesthetics, because the scar will be hidden by the pubic hair. The incision does not distort the
belly button and heals faster than the traditional vertical incision.
The surgeon cuts on a generally horizontal (slightly curved) line just above the
pubic symphysis
The pubic symphysis is a secondary cartilaginous joint between the left and right superior rami of the pubis of the hip bones. It is in front of and below the urinary bladder. In males, the suspensory ligament of the penis attaches to the pubi ...
. The skin and subcutaneous fat are lifted off the rectus muscle fascia, going towards the head. This allows access to the lower midline of the anterior abdominal wall fascia. The fascia was cut vertically to separate the rectus muscles and enter the abdomen. Though the skin is incised transversely, the fascia was initially made in the midline but the modern technique involves transection of the fascia laterally.
Etymology and history
The name derives from the surname of
Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel
Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel (28 June 1862 – 3 July 1909) was a German gynecologist born in Berlin.
In 1885 he received his doctorate in Berlin and afterwards worked as a hospital assistant in Posen. He later moved to Breslau, where in ...
(1862–1909), the German gynecologist who invented the technique in 1900.
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, the incision was popularized by
Monroe Kerr
Monroe or Monroes may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Monroe (surname)
* Monroe (given name)
* James Monroe, 5th President of the United States
Places United States
* Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorporated community and census-designa ...
, who first used it in 1911, so in English-speaking countries it is sometimes called the Kerr incision or the Pfannenstiel–Kerr incision. Kerr published the results in 1920, proposing that this method would cause less damage to the vascularized areas of the uterus than the classical operation. He claimed that it was better than the longitudinal uterine incision in terms of chances for scar rupture and injury to vessels.
See also
*
Lower segment Caesarean section
References
External links
Pfannenstiel incision
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pfannenstiel Incision
Abdominal surgical procedures
Medical procedures
1900 in science
1900 in Germany