How Did The Cesarean Section Get Its Name?

Nowadays, a cesarean section (C-section) is a relatively standard procedure. When a pregnant mother is unable to give birth vaginally, a C-section is performed right away. Advances in medical technology and the experienced hand of the surgeon result in a short scar, relatively small amount of pain and, since relatively recently, the possibility of having a vaginal delivery in future pregnancies (called vaginal birth after cesarean or VBAC). Many C-sections are planned, but in some instances they are performed at the last minute when vaginal delivery is not possible. There are instances when a C-section is difficult, especially with obese mothers, since several layers of fat tissue need to be removed before reaching the baby.

The origin of the term "Cesarean" has been thoroughly investigated but there are conflicting opinions (a complete description can be found in https://blog.pregistry.com/cesarean-section/).

Some writers have theorized that the name Cesarean originated from Julius Caesar. Others have thought that Julius Caesar was named after the procedure. However, Julius Caesar's mother, Aurelia, lived through childbirth and successfully gave birth to her son, ruling out those theories. His first wife, however, died in childbirth giving birth to a stillborn son. Both could have probably survived had she had a cesarean section.

So, where did he name come from? It seems that after the Roman Lex Caesarea (the imperial law of approximately 700 BCE), which required the child of a mother dead in childbirth to be cut from her womb.

The term Cesarean has also been thought to derive from the verb caedere, "to cut".

We will never know for sure where the term came from. But, at least, we now have a few hypotheses to consider.