A Caesarean section is a surgical procedure by which one or more fetuses are delivered through incision through the mother's abdomen and uterus. This procedure is often employed as an alternative to traditional, vaginal delivery when such might pose a risk to the mother or fetuses. Caesarean sections are especially common among humans when fertility drugs have caused the mother to carry several offspring simultaneously.
Caesarean sections are so-named because, according to folklore, this is the method by which the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was delivered.