4.1. FORCEPS APPLICATION 4.1.1. Obstetrical forceps: basic concepts
A brief historical background on the use of obstetric forceps. The history of invention of obstetric forceps is associated with many trade secrets. For the first time, obstetric forceps were invented in 1600 by Peter Chamberlen. Using this tool, he extracted a fetus when labor had lasted for several days. The successful completion of delivery brought Chamberlen considerable income and therefore the secret of obstetric forceps structure and their application was kept confidential for more than 100 years.
Therefore, the Geneva anatomist and surgeon Palfin is considered to be the inventor of obstetric forceps; he announced his invention and publicized the structure of obstetric forceps in 1723. Further, the forceps were improved by many obstetricians: A. Levret, W. Smellie, Norwegian obstetrician K. Kiel-land, D. Simpson. Simpson's model was the most successful; a modification of the Russian obstetrician N. Phenomenov known as Simpson-Phenomenov forceps has been widely used in all countries including Russia until present time. For the first time in our country, obstetric forceps were applied by professor Erasmus of the Moscow University in 1765. Further incorporation of this technique into obstetric practice was promoted by the founders of domestic obstetrics N.M. Maksimovich (Ambodik), G.I. Korablev, A.Ya. Krassovsky, I.P. Lazarevich.
The operation of applying obstetric forceps is a major responsibility in the practice of obstetrician. "Like a scalpel for a surgeon, forceps for an obstetrician are the emblem of his art" (Felling). Indeed, almost every well-known practicing surgeon offered his own model of obstetric forceps. Therefore, there are many models: obstetric forceps of Lazarevich, French physician Levret, German obstetric forceps of Naegele and many others.