Anonymous wrote:What about the OBs at GW? I know most are highly regarded and supportive of natural birth. Are they also great surgeons? Any doctor in particular that has a reputation for being a skilled surgeon?

+1. Would love this info too, as I will have to have a scheduled C-section at GW.

Anonymous wrote:What about the OBs at GW? I know most are highly regarded and supportive of natural birth. Are they also great surgeons? Any doctor in particular that has a reputation for being a skilled surgeon?

Dr. Hsu did mine (emergency) and he did a great job.

What about the OBs at GW? I know most are highly regarded and supportive of natural birth. Are they also great surgeons? Any doctor in particular that has a reputation for being a skilled surgeon?

Dr. Shin at Greenbriar OB-GYN. The recovery nurses said it was the neatest incision they'd ever seen. Her manner during check-ups before my delivery didn't impress me, but afterwards she was so very warm, kind, and caring. And I knew she knew what she was doing.

I haven't read all the replies and would be searching for a good doc as well (obviously, since it's major surgery and you know in advance you are going to get it).

Having said that, I would rest assured knowing that it's a SUPER common, and while major surgery, it's pretty easy to do.

I suspect the people with the "easy healing" scars are just lucky (as opposed to having had good docs). Good luck.

Dr. Newman, Cap Women's Care. He gets in and out efficiently, is very safe, considerate. keeps scarring minimal (I keloid and it was still good). My recovery was a dream. FWIW, I have had two Cs by two different Dr's and Newman's was so much better that I will be returning to him for #3 myself. Amazing surgeon.

To the posters who think that this is an odd question, it absolutely is not. When you are inevitably having a C, you can afford to linger on the little details a while. If you have had a C before, you dread everything from the recovery to the scar to the actual time it will take in the OR. I had a C that was sub-par on all of these fronts, including post-surgical care. I was going for natural so I chose the group I thought would give me the best chance at that (and they gave me a great chance at it!) but it did end in a C and the C was terrible. I hadn't planned for a C so I didn't think through that part very well. I love this post, it is a great question, and best wishes, OP.

My sister was a contract labor-delivery nurse at WHC for 3 months, and I would also advise against planning to deliver there. They have major management-employee issues, and my sister said she never met a group of people who so disliked where they worked and were so unwilling to do the slightest task above the minimum. Within her first 2 days she was tending to other nurse's patients while they argued over who could leave first. She's worked at more than 10 hospitals in a contract capacity, and she still talks about how unpleasant that one was. (This is specifically for labor & delivery... supposedly their heart surgery program is amazing).

Dr. Dickman with CWC in Silver Spring did my c-section at Holy Cross. The procedure was quick, my recovery was easy and I had no complications.

I agree with PP. The anesthesiologist really affects the experience and the recovery. Administering those meds in the right quantity, timing and precision affects how your body responds to the surgery.

As for the surgery itself, surgeons evaluate proficiency based on speed, blood loss and complications. Scar tissue etc is determined by genetics.

Just because one poster has hardly any scar does not guarantee that OP will. That's genetics talking. It's like saying "I don't have any stretch marks, so you won't either, OP." To scar or not to scar is not in the doctor's hands.

Also, how comfortable you are during your c/s is going to depend a great deal on your anesthesiologist. During my first c/s, the dipshit anesthesiologist let the epidural/spinal wear off and I could feel myself being sewn up. Extremely unpleasant.

If you are being scheduled, meet the team ahead of time.

Dr. Robert Footer. Barely a scar, very calm, no issues, etc.

Anonymous wrote:I'd be leery of having a c-section at WHC. The OB doctors that practice out of there are generally quite good, but they have some ongoing serious issues with nurse staffing. Considering the nurses are the ones providing the majority of care outside of the surgery itself, they are chronically understaffed and have had some high-profile "oopsies", it is something to think seriously about.

+1

A colleague of mine, who's an RN, was there accompanying her partner during a procedure, and she was horrified at the poor quality of the nursing care. Like, that was the first thing she said after telling us the procedure went well horrified.

Anonymous wrote:I thought I had a great csection. Mine was an emergency, my doctor was quick, thorough, friendly, calming, my daughter was born healthy.

I have barely any scar (seriously, you can't even see it) - I was off the pain meds almost within hours and I was home in 3 days and up making breakfast the next morning.

She is a terrible OB and I stopped seeing her as doctor, but she is a kick ass surgeon - and let's face it - when someone is cutting you open and pulling out your baby, you want a good surgeon not a friendly personality.

Dr Salgado at PFW in Alexandria.

Let me just add, if I were to have another baby, I would stop seeing my current Gyno and go back to Salgado just because I would need another csection. Then go back to my doctor afterwards for the gyno.

I thought I had a great csection. Mine was an emergency, my doctor was quick, thorough, friendly, calming, my daughter was born healthy.

I have barely any scar (seriously, you can't even see it) - I was off the pain meds almost within hours and I was home in 3 days and up making breakfast the next morning.

She is a terrible OB and I stopped seeing her as doctor, but she is a kick ass surgeon - and let's face it - when someone is cutting you open and pulling out your baby, you want a good surgeon not a friendly personality.

Dr Salgado at PFW in Alexandria.

Gschwend.

Anonymous wrote:What defines "the best c section?"

Is it just the size of the scar? Lots of things might affect that. And presumably the health of mother and child are more important.

Speed? Precision? Bedside manner? Ambiance? Do tell. Then maybe some of us can help you.

Low rate of complications, safe delivery, ability to act appropriately in high risk situations. Scar matters very little if other things to wrong. Many OBs are horrible surgeons.