Ten -year review of vacuum assisted vaginal deliveries at a district hospital in Ghana.

To find the incidence, indications, failure rate and the maternal and neonatal morbidity associated with the use of the vacuum extractor in a district hospital.A retrospective study of vacuum assisted vaginal deliveries.Holy Family Hospital, Nkawkaw from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2009.There were a total of 22,947 deliveries at the Holy Family Hospital over the ten year period of the study. There were 180 (0.78% of the total deliveries) cases of vacuum extraction out of which 164 (91.1%) of the extractions had successful vacuum assisted vaginal deliveries. The incidence of successful vacuum assisted vaginal delivery was 0.71% of the total number of deliveries. The failure rate of vacuum extraction was 8.9%. The commonest indications for vacuum assisted vaginal delivery were delayed second stage 40.5%, and poor maternal effort 29.3%. The maternal complication rate was 3.1% while 16 (9.7%) babies were admitted to babies unit with birth asphyxia and other complications which were mainly minor injuries.The vacuum extractor is an effective and safe device for assisted vaginal delivery with high success rate even in a district hospital. Steps should be taken to encourage the safe use of vacuum assisted vaginal deliveries and it should be made more accessible.