A caesarian section is a procedure in which a baby, rather than being born vaginally, is surgically extracted (removed) from the uterus. The term "section" in surgery refers to the division of tissue. In a Caesarian section, what is being divided is the abdominal wall of the mother as well as the wall of the uterus in order to extract the baby. It is also called a C-section.
According to Greek mythology Apollo removed Asclepius, founder of the famous cult of religious medicine, from his mother's abdomen. Numerous references to Caesarean section appear in ancient Hindu, Egyptian, Grecian, Roman, and other European folklore.
