cephalotomy
[sef″ah-lot´ah-me] 1. the cutting up of the fetal head to facilitate delivery.
2. dissection of the fetal head.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
ceph·a·lot·o·my
(sef'ă-lot'ō-mē), Formerly used operation of cutting into the head of the fetus.
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
cephalotomy
(1) In surgery, the opening of or incision into the head.
(2) The near-extinct practice of excising the head of a foetus in the face of cephalopelvic disproportion—e.g., when vaginal delivery of a breech presentation or hydrocephalic infant become impossible.Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.