ReviewCureus2022
A Review of Episiotomy and Modalities for Relief of Episiotomy Pain.
Review in Cureus, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06325176 (Comparative Effects of Cryotherapy and Infrared Light on Pain, Redness and Healing of Episiotomy Wound), which is not on this map. Cited by 14 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Comparative Effects of Cryotherapy and Infrared Light on Pain, Redness and Healing of Episiotomy Wound
Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of energy-based devices on episiotomy pain and healing: A systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Pooled it
- The Effect of Virtual Reality Application on Pain and Anxiety During Episiotomy Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.International urogynecology journal · 2024Pooled it
- Influence of pelvic floor muscle training alone or as part of a general physical activity program during pregnancy on urinary incontinence, episiotomy and third- or fourth-degree perineal tear: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2024Pooled it
- Evaluating the Timing of Sitz Baths After Laser Hemorrhoidoplasty: An Exploratory Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Efficacy of suprapubic hot compress in preventing emergence agitation in patients with indwelling urinary catheters under general anesthesia: a randomized controlled trial.Journal of anesthesia · 2026Article
- Platelet-Rich Plasma in Episiotomy Repair: A Critical Appraisal of a Sparse and Partly Non-Indexed Evidence Base and Rationale for a Randomized Controlled Trial.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Safety and effectiveness of routine postpartum bathing in a bathtub: A prospective study in Japan.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Article
- Infrared and Laser for Pain and Healing of Postpartum Perineal Injuries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International urogynecology journal · 2026Review
- A Preliminary Study of Intravaginal Lactic Acid Gel (CanesbalanceHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Article
- The Role of Lactic Acid in Episiotomy Wound Healing: A Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Effectiveness of Fu's subcutaneous needling combined with muscle energy technique for postpartum perineal pain: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Analysis of episiotomy incidence and risk factors in vaginal deliveries: a single-center.AJOG global reports · 2024Article
- The effect of music-based interventions on short-term postpartum episiotomy pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Heliyon · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Episiotomy is a surgically planned incision of the perineum and the posterior vaginal wall in the second stage of labour. It is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the world. In episiotomy, the vaginal orifice is made larger to facilitate the birth of a baby. The postnatal period is very crucial in every mother's life, especially those who had a vaginal delivery and underwent episiotomy. Maternal benefits of episiotomy include reduced risk of perineal trauma, subsequent pelvic floor dysfunction and prolapse, urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence, and sexual dysfunction. Potential benefits for the foetus are thought to include a shortened second stage of labour. However, an episiotomy can also lead to potential adverse consequences, including the extension to a third- or fourth-degree tear, anal sphincter dysfunction, and dyspareunia. Different approaches can be adopted to reduce these complications in the postpartum period, including cleanliness, cold packs, sitz baths, kegel exercises, perineal care, and topical application of dry heat-infrared lamp therapy. Of all these approaches, infrared lamp therapy and sitz baths are the two most effective and commonly used for episiotomy pain relief and wound healing. In infrared lamp therapy, radiant heat or infrared rays are used to produce heat that is then applied to the episiotomy wound to facilitate pain relief and wound healing, while a sitz bath is a moist heat application process that is also effective for episiotomy pain relief and wound healing. This review aims to offer the most thorough understanding of episiotomy, its current concept, and episiotomy pain relief, with a particular focus on infrared lamp therapy and sitz baths.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.