VA ranked 4th in C-Section rates

DENVER, Colo. (WAVY) - A report released by HealthGrades found that the C-section, or Cesarean section, rate in the U.S. is at an all time high.

The report found that between 2002 and 2009 the C-section rate rose from 27 percent of all single births to 34 percent. The report studied 19 states, including Virginia, where hospital patient outcomes data is publicly available. Virginia was ranked as the fourth highest C-section delivery rate with 35.7 percent C-section deliveries.

HealthGrades also evaluated hospitals' quality of maternity and gynecological care during the time of the study and designated the best performing hospitals with a 5-Star rating. View the report to find out which hospitals in Hampton Roads were ranked the best.

“Women today have a wide array of options when it comes to reproductive health and choosing a health care provider who aligns with their personal preferences,” said Divya Cantor, MD, MBA and HealthGrades Senior Physician Consultant.

“From pregnancy and childbirth to more serious interventions such as hysterectomy, surgeries to treat incontinence, ovarian and other cancers of the reproductive organs, women can optimize their chances for receiving the highest possible quality of care by researching and comparing the clinical outcomes of hospitals and doctors in their area.”

The study showed that if all hospitals performed at a 5-Star rating quality, then about a third of in-hospital complications from women undergoing live born deliveries and gynecologic surgery could have been prevented.

Consumers can search and compare the quality of all hospital maternity and gynecology programs in Hampton Roads at HealthGrades.com .

The report also found that while hysterectomies are the most common gynecological procedure, the amount of hysterectomies performed has decreased 31% over all since 2002.