ROBuST: RCOG Operative Birth Simulation Training
Course Manual

Training in safe operative birth is a key priority in obstetrics. Around one in five women are dissatisfied with their labour and birth, especially operative birth, often because of poor communication or inadequate technical skills. This can lead to sexual dysfunction and aversion to further pregnancy, as well as increases in complaints and litigation. This book accompanies the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' Operative Birth Simulation Training (ROBuST) course, and will be an essential resource for all obstetricians and maternity care providers. Internationally recognised contributors discuss all aspects of operative birth including: vacuum and forceps-assisted birth; Caesarean section at full dilatation; safe and effective practice of Kielland's forceps; essential non-technical skills; teamwork; and medico-legal aspects. A simple-to-use flowchart is included to guide the reader through the essential steps for a successful operative vaginal birth. Each chapter identifies the key learning points and provides step-by-step instructions for performing each technique.

Abbreviations; Preface; 1. Operative vaginal birth in the twenty-first century: a global perspective Glen Mola; 2. Indications and assessment for operative vaginal birth Deirdre Murphy and Meenakshi Ramphul; 3. Nontechnical skills Bryony Strachan and Rachna Bahl; 4. Vacuum-assisted birth Aldo Vacca; 5. Nonrotational forceps and manual rotation Kim Hinshaw and Shilpa Mahadasu; 6. Rotational forceps Karl S. J. Oláh; 7. Caesarean section at full dilatation Patrick O'Brien and Sadia Bhatti; 8. Medico-legal matters Fraser McLeod and Tim Draycott; 9. Analgesia and anaesthesia for operative vaginal birth Rowena Pykett, George Bugg and David Levy; Index.

George Attilakos is a Consultant in Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics at University College London Hospitals.
Tim Draycott is a Senior Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Bristol and a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the North Bristol NHS Trust. He is a member of the PROMPT Maternity Foundation and faculty for the successful PROMPT course, which provides the model for the operative vaginal delivery course.
Alison Gale is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. She is Obstetric Simulation Lead at the RCOG.
Dimitrios Siassakos is an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, an Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Medical Education and Coordinator of the Introduction to Clinical Skills module at the University of Bristol.
Cathy Winter is a Practical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training (PROMPT) Maternity Foundation Research Midwife.